Inheritance of a Dragon Slayer
by Mataras
Summary: Before Natsu and Wendy can return home from Edolas, their trip is cut short by a strange magic that causes them to end up in a new land called Alagaesia, where they meet a young man named Eragon. Together they will change many fates, including that of an old man, a young girl, and a valiant rebel alliance. Disclaimers on Fairy Tail, Inheritance Cycle, and cover image.
1. A Desperate Spell

**A/N: Okay guys, who's ready for some serious magic?! I hope you are all fired up, cos I've got a fire in my belly!**

 **Now that I've got the lame comedy routine out of the way... Just a few things before we get started. No, Natsu and Wendy are going to be the only Fairy Tail characters in this story- no one else gets to come along. This story will span the entire Inheritance Cycle, so this will likely take me a VERY long time to finish, but I promise regular- if slow- updates. The only reason I would go on a hiatus is if something came up like a family member dying. I have this story planned out from beginning to end, so I won't abandon you guys.**

 **At one point, I thought that my story, the Red Swordsman, was going to be the last one that I would do on this site, but then I realized that I would miss hearing form all of you guys. So I'm here to stay! Enjoy this story, and as always, don't hesitate to leave a review or message me privately! I hope that I do your expectations and this story justice!**

 **P.S. Be sure to check our my other crossovers, Star Sword and Fire Sword, as well as my other stories!**

* * *

A Desperate Spell

The elf courier was cornered and her options were extremely limited. Her companions and their steeds were all dead, she had only a sword for a weapon, and her opponents numbered up to ten, including a Shade- a demon-possessed master of spirits. In fact, this very Shade was renowned for being the bringer of much pain to the elves as a race in particular. He was ruthless, brilliant, and completely relentless in carrying out his tasks assigned to him.

So she did the only thing she could think of, even knowing what the consequences would be. Raising the precious cargo she had been protecting for decades, she cried out in her native tongue, calling for the power that would grant her this last hope before she died. The Shade roared in another, darker language, charging straight at her, determined to stop her. But in the instant before he struck, the object she carried glowed brightly and disappeared with a loud _bang_ and flash of light.

When it faded, she collapsed, much to his disgust and frustration. Searching her briefly, he found that the prize he sought was indeed gone. In his fury, he lashed out and killed his nine retainers, who all died with guttural screams as his lightning magic struck them down. As he threw the elf maiden over his horse, he vowed to himself that whomever found his prize would suffer at the hands the hands of the Ra'zac.

* * *

Many leagues away, a young boy was about to bring the past three days of hard work he had spent out in the woods to a close. He was almost sixteen, nearly a man by human standards. He was a handsome enough individual with dark, curly hair and brown eyes to match. A small nose was centered on his face, and under it was a mouth set in a thin line as he drew back an arrow on the powerful bow he carried.

In his sights were a small herd of deer. One in particular had a bad leg, and she was his target. It was a mix of mercy killing and practicality. She would be the slowest, easiest target, and it would put her out her misery before some wild animal made mincemeat out her.

Taking careful aim, Eragon checked his breath, slid the bow back to full draw, and released his arrow at the unsuspecting target.

* * *

Natsu, the Fire Dragon Slayer laughed as he waved good-bye to the parallel version of Fairy Tail. It hadn't been for very long, but he had definitely felt as though the Edolas guild was every bit as much his home as Earthland was. And even without its magic, he knew that their group would do just fine.

Wendy, the Sky Dragon Slayer, was smiling happily as she did the same, saying goodbye to all of her new friends and promising to keep them in her heart. Her gaze lingered on Jellal the longest, for he had been the one to help her move past the grief of Grendina's leaving. She would miss him dearly, but at least now she knew that he would never forget her, either. They would live on in each other's hearts, always, she knew.

Then the moment when they could no longer see Edolas came, and they were once again hurtling through the space between worlds. Wendy and Natsu looked up ahead to see that everyone else was already well on their way home. They both grinned to themselves, happy to be going home at last.

Then, a distortion. In the space between spaces, a new magic moved between the two dragon slayers, separating them from their friends. It looked like green fire that twisted into the form of a gate before them, and Wendy cried in surprise. "Natsu!" she cried. "What is that?!"

"Man, I dunno, but I hope it doesn't lead somewhere with weird magic again!" he shouted in response. "Cos that would really suck!" Before the frightened girl could manage to come up with a reply, an unidentifiable object shot in between them at the same instance that the gate before them opened. In the next instant, all three travelers passed through the new gate and on to the other side.

* * *

Eragon's arrow leapt from the bow, headed straight for the selected deer- only to be incinerated in an intense fire that made him flinch and duck for cover. Looking up, he realized that the deer were bolting, and he snarled a curse as he drew and fired another arrow at the wounded doe. His arrow missed and sped off into the darkness.

Cursing his bad luck, he drew another arrow and turned to look at the area where the flash of light and fire had come from. Looking around, he saw that there were several small fires that he might need to stamp out, but what caught his attention the most was what had appeared in the center of the blast radius.

It was a blue stone, surrounded by smoke as it lay in the forest floor. Intrigued, Eragon put away his arrow and knelt before the stone and touched it tentatively. To his surprise, he found that it was actually at night temperature, and completely unscathed by the fires around it. Debating with himself for a moment, he finally decided to take the rock with him- it might be worth something after all.

Just when he had stashed it away in his pack, he heard someone groan and he leapt to his feet, instantly alert. His eyes widened in surprise when a boy with bright pink hair wearing a large white scarf that looked to be made of some kind of leather stumbled out from behind a tree, swaying and looking a little pale. "Oh…" the boy groaned. "Hey, Wendy, do ya have anything that can cure dizziness?"

"I would, but I'm too dizzy to do anything right now," a little girl's voice said from behind the tree the boy was leaning on. "Sorry, Natsu."

"Ugh…I need some good fire right now," the boy mumbled as he looked up. "I'd- oh, hey there! Are you from Magnolia?" He asked this as he locked eyes with Eragon.

"Um…?" Eragon replied, a little nonplussed. "I'm not familiar with anyplace called Magnolia. The nearest place is my hometown, Carvahall, a day's journey from here. Perhaps you were lost? Though you really shouldn't be wandering around in the Spine this late at night- most people that do don't live to tell about it."

"Yeah?" the boy replied with a slightly feral grin. "Then what're you doin' out here so late? If it's that dangerous, shouldn't you be back at home? Or do you know magic?"

"M-Magic?" Eragon sputtered. "I should say not! I'm just a farm boy, and anyone that knows magic is always taken to the king!"

"Hunh?" the pink-haired boy said as he scratched his head. "Uh… Did we somehow get stuck in Edolas?" He started sniffing at the air, much to Eragon's bewilderment. Who was this boy, and what was he playing at?

"Hey, Natsu?" the female voice was back, this time accompanied by the owner, a young girl with long, dark blue hair tied into twin pigtails that fell down to her waist. "The air here doesn't taste like Edolas, but it doesn't taste like the air back home, either."

"Aw man!" the boy shouted angrily. He started yelling and punching at the air with both fists as he shouted, "Don't tell me we ended up in another whacky world with whacky magic rules, cos I's seriously gonna lose it and-!"

"Natsu, calm down!" the girl said as she grabbed one of his flailing arms. "Maybe we just ended up in another country or something. Does your magic still work here?"

"Huh? Oh, right," the boy said as he instantly calmed down, further adding to Eragon's confusion. Suddenly, his fist burst into fire, and he laughed delightedly, startling Eragon badly enough to fall backwards. "Haha!" the fame-wielder giggled. "Awesome! I still have my magic!"

"Wh-what are you?!" Eragon cried out in fear. "Are you spirits?!"

"Huh?" the two kids asked as they looked back at the cowering young man. "Oh, right," the pink-haired boy said as he doused the fire to reveal his hand completely unharmed. "Sorry about that- I'm Natsu Dragneel. I didn't mean to scare you or anything."

"Yeah, sorry about that," the little girl said with a timid smile. "I'm Wendy Marvell. We're just looking for a way to get back to Fiore. I think we got lost…"

"F-Fiore?" Eragon stuttered, still in awe of Natsu. "I d-don't know of any place called Fiore. Please, don't hurt me, I know nothing!"

Natsu frowned and looked down at Wendy as he said, "Hey, you sure we didn't get stuck in Edolas somehow? This guy's goin' on about a king that steals magic, he doesn't know about Fiore, and he seems really scared of my magic power."

"No, I don't think so…" Wendy said with a slight grimace. "But… do you think…maybe we ended up in another world again?"

" _Again_?!" Natsu started shouting incoherently as he waved his fists around and ran in circles while Wendy tried to think.

"I wish Carla was here…" she mumbled. "But I think that she, Happy, and everybody else got ahead of us…" Looking around, she couldn't see any of her friends, nor did she smell them nearby.

" _Aw man_!" Natsu cried. "Now we gotta find Fairy Tail _and_ our little buddies?! This place already sucks! Argh, I'm losin' it here!" His eye twitched, and a vein bulged on his forehead as he looked to the heavens and screamed, " _Fire Dragon ROAR_!" A great river of fire shot up out of his mouth and into the night sky, petrifying Eragon where lay in the dirt.

"Natsu, calm down!" Wendy begged. "You're just scaring that poor guy over there!"

"RRAAAA-agh?" Natsu suddenly stoped roaring and looked over at Eragon, who was pale and wide-eyed. "Oh, sorry about that, mister. I didn't mean to scare you or nothing."

"Wh-what- W-Who are you?" Eragon asked with a very dry throat.

"Huh?" Natsu grinned. "Like I said, I'm Natsu Dragneel, son of Agneel, Fire Dragon Slayer Wizard of Fairy Tail!"

"And I'm the Sky Dragon Slayer of Fairy Tail!" Wendy added with her most charming smile. "Nice to meet you, mister… Uh…" She cocked her head at the boy, waiting for him to reply and give his name.

"D-dragon slayers?" he said, shivering with fear. "Y-you've killed dragons?"

"What?" Natsu frowned. "Are you kiddin' me? I haven't seen a dragon since the day Dad left! It's been a long time since any of us have seen dragons! Why, did you see one?"

"N-no," Eragon said with a shake of his head. "Th-there haven't been any dragons in A-Alagaesia in over a hundred y-years."

"Hunh?!" Natsu gasped. Then he started shouting again as he ran in a small circle while Wendy looked on, slightly exasperated at this point. "Seriously, did I age to be eighty-something and nobody told me?!" the Fire Dragon Slayer shouted angrily at the night sky. "Why doesn't anybody ever tell me these things?!"

Despite himself, Eragon looked over at Wendy, who sighed heavily as she waited for Natsu to run out of steam. "Is he always like this?" he asked tentatively.

"Pretty much, from what I can tell," Wendy sighed. "I haven't know him that long, and he's kind of a weirdo, but I'd trust him with my life again in an instant."

"Again?"

"It's a long story," Wendy sighed. "But then, he's going to take a while to calm down. Mind if I tell you about what happened to us?" When Eragon gave her a tentative nod, she sat down beside him and began to tell him the story of Fairy Tail.

It took Wendy nearly an hour to give a brief summary of their adventures to the young man in the dirt, because it turned out that once he got over his nervousness, he was very, very curious. He always had questions to ask, and in a way, Wendy wasn't sure which one would be more exhausting to talk to- Eragon or Natsu.

When Natsu had finally calmed down and Eragon had run out of questions, the farm boy said, "Well, I can at least offer you a guide back to my hometown. Although, my home is rather poor, so I can't offer you a place to stay when we get there."

"Ah, that's okay," Natsu grinned. "We're used to roughing it in the wild anyways. Thanks for the help!" Wendy added her own thanks, and Eragon shook hands with them both.

"We'll have to set up camp here for the night, but we can head home tomorrow morning," Eragon said as he unpacked his bedroll. "Is there any way that we can get a fire going? Nights in the Spine can get quite cold."

Natsu grinned wider and said, "If you got wood, I can light it up. Just tell me how hot you want it."

"Oh, right," Eragon said as he scratched his head. "Er… Well, using magic in here is alright, I suppose, but when we get to Carvahall you should likely try to keep that to yourselves. Many people would likely become frightened of you and assume that you were spawned from the forest itself."

"We will, don't worry," Wendy replied. "The last thing we want is to cause any trouble."

* * *

Thanks to Natsu, even with Wendy being the only one with a blanket upon Eragon's insistence, the group slept warmly enough through the night with the fire he provided. When he first awoke, Eragon wondered if the whole thing had been a dream. Then he saw Wendy sleeping peacefully and Natsu snoring loudly, and he shook his head to clear it. No, they were still there.

Sighing to himself, he proceeded to rouse Wendy from her sleep. The little girl yawned and stretched as she arose from the realm of dreams. Eragon then moved to wake up Natsu, shaking him a little more roughly than he had Wendy. The male dragon slayer's reaction to being woken up was quite a bit more dramatic than his companion's had been.

One moment, Eragon was shaking Natsu by the shoulder. The next, Natsu fist smashed into his face on reflex- fortunately without the fire. Even so, the blow was solid enough to send Eragon flying backwards a couple of feet and leaving a solid bruise on his face. A stream of curses flew from his mouth, bringing Wendy to full awareness.

She gasped and moved to Eragon's side, saying, "I'm so sorry! I should have warned you about how he does that!"

"You think?" Eragon groaned.

"Hang on, let me heal you," Wendy said as she placed a hand over the large purple welt. A soft blue glow emanated from her hand, and Eragon immediately felt the pain melt away as though it had never been there. Reaching up, he touched his cheek just to be sure, and found the skin completely unmarked.

He thanked Wendy just as Natsu sat up with a big smile on his face. "Man, that was an awesome dream!" he crowed. "I totally kicked Gray's butt!"

"Actually, Natsu, you ended up hitting Eragon," Wendy said, exasperated.

"Huh?" the Fire Dragon Slayer said as he looked at Eragon, who glared at him in return. "He looks fine, so I guess I didn't hit him that hard."

"Actually, you- Ugh, never mind," Wendy sighed. Looking up at Eragon, who was gathering his things, she said, "I guess we had better start walking, huh?"

"Aye," Eragon nodded. "When we get into town, you might want to talk to Brom. He's an old storyteller that moved here some years ago, and he would likely know the answers to any questions you might have."

"Cool!" Natsu grinned. "Maybe he's like this world's version of Gramps, huh Wendy?"

"Yeah, maybe" the girl smiled as she stood up. "I hope so. We never really got to meet the other version of Master Makarov in Edolas, so that would be cool if we could meet him here. I just hope that he's not super weird like some of the Edolas Fairy Tail members." Natsu thought about mentioning his thoughts about who Makarov might have been in Edolas, but he decided against it. There were more important things to think about right now- like food.

* * *

They spent the journey to Eragon's home talking about Fiore and Fairy Tail, as Eragon had many questions, much to Wendy's surprise. It seemed like there was no end to his curiosity. By the time they had finished telling him about their childhoods as the adopted children of dragons, they had reached the outskirts of Carvahall.

"Now remember," he said as they started to walk between some houses. "Don't use any magic while you're here. And you might want to keep your stories to yourself- many people would disregard them. To be honest, I would not believe it myself, save for how I saw you use magic with my own eyes."

"So what should we tell people?" Wendy asked, while Natsu sulked, obviously unhappy about having to hide his heritage.

"Just tell anyone who asks you that you're a brother and sister that are travelling to Theirnsford- a nearby city- to visit relatives, and you need a place to stay for a few nights," he replied. "I'm not sure what we'll do after that, but I'll figure something out for you two, at least until you can talk to Brom."

"Thanks, man," Natsu replied. "We'll pay ya back for this, I promise." He reached out his hand, and Eragon shook it firmly. The two young men shared in a smile of promise- the first of many.

"Now then, I need to see if that stone I found is worth enough to buy any meat since I didn't bag any on my trip," Eragon said. "If you'd like to come with me before I take you to Brom's, I won't take too long."

"Sure," Natsu grinned. "If you buy the dinner, maybe I can cook it for ya."

"Natsu, we're not supposed to use our magic, remember?" Wendy said in a lowered tone as an older couple passed them by in the streets, staring at Natsu and Wendy.

"Aw man," Natsu whined. "In Edolas, I couldn't use my magic, and here I can, but I'm not allowed to?! This sucks!" Wendy just sighed and pulled the pouting young man by the arm after Eragon, who had simply rolled his eyes and started walking towards a butcher shop.

"A word of warning before we go in," Eragon said, struck by a sudden thought. In a lowered tone, he said to the dragon slayers, "The man who owns this shop is not exactly the kindest of individuals. Just let me do the talking, alright?"

"Yeah, yeah," Natsu muttered. "No magic, no talking, no food…" He muttered more under his breath, but Eragon ignored him as Wendy simply nodded in agreement.

"Right then," he muttered. "Let's get this over with." And he pushed the door open to the butcher Sloan's shop.

* * *

 **Lucy: Hey! How come we're not a part of this story?! We're part of Fairy Tail, too! I was even in before Wendy! What's she got that I don't?!**

 **Gray: What're you gettin' so worked up about? Chill out, it's not like this'll affect your actual career.**

 **Lucy: I know, but I'm worried about Natsu and Wendy! Are they gonna be okay?!**

 **Gray: Heh, don't worry about 'em. If we know anything, it's that Natsu always breaks trouble before it breaks him.**

 **Lucy: True... Oh well, I guess we'll just have to watch from the sidelines for this one, huh?**

 **Gray: Unless you know how to cast Anima, I don't think we're getting in on the action this time, no.**

 **Lucy: Okay, Mr. Smarty-Pants! Let's see you come up with a better idea!**

 **Gray: Why should I? I'm not the writer here. Take it up with Mataras.**

 **Lucy: Oh, I will. And when I catch up with him, I'm gonna show him what my spirits got!**

 **Mataras: Oh, really? You wanna tangle with the one that controls everything you're doing here?**

 **Lucy: AAAAAHHH! Uh... You heard all that?**

 **Mataras: I wrote all that. And I think it's time to bring it to a wrap, too. We'll pick this up next time, little missy. See how you stand up to my Dragon Keeper abilities, then.**

 **Lucy: Heh heh... You're kidding... right?**


	2. Meeting Carvahall

**A/N: Okay guys, time for the next chapter in this much-requested cross-over! In this we will see how Natsu and Wendy deal with not only Sloan, but also Horst and Brom! Hope you enjoy this again, and please don't hesitate to review and/or message me!**

* * *

Meeting Carvahall

Eragon pushed open the door and led the two younger kids inside the meat shop. Natsu looked round hungrily, his stomach growling loudly, but he stayed true to his word by not destroying anything. Wendy eyed some of the displayed meats uneasily, but she said nothing.

Soon however, a bald man caught their attention. He was slightly overweight, and his back was turned to them. As Wendy and Natsu saw him, their first impression was that he might resemble Master Bob of the Blue Pegasus guild. But when he turned around with a face that seemed perpetually bent by a scowl, they knew that they could not be more wrong. Master Bob may have been a very strange individual, but he could never be so mean-looking.

"Good afternoon, Sloan," Eragon said as he stood in front of the counter.

"Ah, the might hunter returns to grace us with his presence," the man replied mockingly. "How many did you bag this time, other than the two brats I see hiding behind you?"

"None," Eragon replied curtly. "Which is obviously why I'm here."

"Hmph," Sloan sneered. "You have no money, so I'm not interested in doing business."

"I have something to trade," Eragon countered as he reached into his pack and retrieved the blue stone that he had found the night before. Behind him, both Natsu and Wendy's noses began to twitch as they both encountered a familiar smell- one that they had not encountered in many a year.

Sloan's eyes lit up with interest and he put away the knife that he'd been sharpening. "Well now, how did a farm boy like you pick up a beauty like this?" he asked as he examined the blue object.

"I found it on the ground," Eragon answered, obviously holding back his temper. To Wendy, he seemed very different than the frightened child that they had found the previous night. He seemed a lot more confident now that he was in his hometown.

"More likely you stole it," Sloan retorted. "Well, it looks pretty, but I can't really see what it's really worth. In that case, I suggest you take my offer of three crowns."

"That's a miser's bargain!" Eragon protested angrily.

Sloan shrugged, obviously not caring how much Eragon thought it would be worth. "That's my offer, and unless you want to wait to sell it until the traders come through, you'll take it," he sniffed, moving to pick up his knife again.

"Fine," Eragon snapped. "Get me a week's worth of beef in that case."

"Deal," Sloan smirked. "Not that it matters, but where exactly did you find that stone?"

"Last night when I was hunting in the Spine," Eragon replied. He was shocked when Sloan shoved the stone back into his chest, nearly sending him reeling.

"Get out!" Sloan barked as he grabbed another knife to clean. "I won't have anything to do with those damned mountains! Get that sorcerer's stone out of my shop!"

"Hey, man, what's your deal?!" Natsu said as he shouldered his way past Eragon. "My pal here was willing to pay for everything, and now you're just gonna give him crap over where he found the thing?"

"It's none of your business, child!" Sloan said brandishing the knife like a weapon. "Now _get out_!" Natsu glared as the shop owner, and Wendy felt her chest constrict as his fist drew back, hidden from view as it began to smoke for what she knew was his Iron Fist technique. But before his magic could be unleashed, a new element entered the picture.

A man of massive stature wearing a coal-stained smock came into the shop, a girl with long copper hair trailing him. "What seems to be the problem, Sloan?" the man rumbled, cracking his knuckles. His sinewy biceps rippled with power as Sloan paled with fear.

"H-Horst!" he stammered. "This boy and his cohorts have come into my establishment, refusing to leave, even when I warned them that I would use force!"

Horst raised a bushy eyebrow and turned to Eragon, his dark eyes shining with a hidden laugh underneath the black hair atop his head. His massive beard moved with a smile as he asked, "Eragon, is this true?"

"Not on your life!" Natsu interjected, surprising the smith and the boy. "Eragon here was gonna sucker up to this scumbag just to get a measly meal for his family when the little coward starts freakin' out about how he found this old rock in your Spine!"

Horst turned back to Sloan, all business again. "Sloan, is that so? I've no love for the Spine myself, but that stone seems valuable enough. And if you doubt its worth, I'd be willing to back it with my own money." He slapped a heavy purse at his belt, and Sloan paled further.

"Father," said the girl that had come in with Horst. "Eragon is willing to pay us. Please, can we not get this all over with and have supper?"

"This is none of your business, Katrina," Sloan glowered. "Go back to the house, do you hear? Get _out_!" The girl stiffened and walked out the door, slamming the door behind her. Eragon winced at the unpleasantness, but Horst wasn't done yet.

"Well then, Sloan," he said as he opened his purse. "Get me a week's worth of your best steaks and the like, enough to fill Eragon's pack. And make it quick." Sloan did not budge, eyeing the offered money uneasily. "Not selling to me would be a very bad idea," Horst glowered. Added to this was Natsu, grinning with a dangerous gleam in his eyes, cracking his knuckles behind Horst.

Sloan finally caved. He moved into the back room, where the group heard a series of chops, curses, and wrappings occurring. When he came back, he slammed the meat down on the counter and grabbed Horst's money roughly. He then set about cleaning one of his knives, acting like they did not even exist.

The four of them exited without another word, whereupon Wendy let out a huge sigh of relief. "That was too close," she gasped.

Horst let out a huge round of laughter as he clapped Eragon heartily on the back, saying, "Ah, I've waited a long time to do something like that."

"Thank you very much, Horst," Eragon said as he held out the stone for Horst to take as payment. "I appreciate you helping me out."

"No, keep your strange rock," Horst said with a shake of his head. "If you truly wish to pay me back, Albreich plans to leave next spring to become a master smith. I'm going to need an extra hand around the forge to take up the slack."

"Again, thank you!" Eragon said with a bow of gratitude. "I would be more than delighted to help you in his absence!"

"Think nothing of it," Horst insisted. "But tell me, who are these two youngsters?"

"Ah, forgive me, Horst," Eragon said as he turned to face. "This is Natsu Dragneel and Wendy Marvell. They are travelling cousins heading on to Theirnsford in a few days' time. I found them lost in the Spine last night."

"Do they have a place to stay?" Horst asked with concern. Seeing his face, Wendy was reminded in a way of the master of her old guild, Cait Shelter. "I have plenty of room at my house if they need to stay somewhere for a few days. I would not charge them like Morn's Tavern- though I would ask with some help around the house."

"That sounds wonderful!" Wendy said with her most winning smile. "Thank you so much, Mister Horst!"

"Will there be food?" Natsu asked, much to Wendy's embarrassment. "I'm starving!"

"As long as you help make it, there will be food," Horst replied patiently, much to Eragon and Wendy's relief.

"All right!" Natsu shouted happily. "I'm all fired up, then!"

"Before you go, would you like to join us for dinner?" Horst offered to Eragon.

The boy smiled but shook his head. "I would love to, but Uncle Garrow is expecting me home tonight. Perhaps later this week?" The two men shook hands, and Eragon turned to Wendy and Natsu to say, "I'll be busy for the next week or so, but if you have time, either try to visit Brom, or come see me. My home is a couple of miles down the road that way." And he pointed down the main road of Carvahall. "Try and stay out of trouble, alright?"

"We will," Wendy promised. "Won't we, Natsu?"

"Yeah, yeah," Natsu shrugged impatiently. "Come on, can we go already? I haven't eaten anything since that nasty excuse of fire the other day!"

Horst looked at Eragon with an eyebrow raised, but the youth simply shrugged his shoulders. "He seems… strange, but he was willing to stand up for me back there," Eragon said. "I'm sure he'll do just fine in the forge."

"Very well, I'll take your word for it," Horst decided. "Is there anything else before you go home?"

"Ah, yes, actually," Eragon said as he beckoned for Horst to come closer. He whispered something to the massive blacksmith that made him chuckle.

"Yes, don't worry," he grinned. "I will tell her. And be sure to tell Roran and Garrow that I wish them both well."

"Of course," Eragon said with one last bow. "Good day, Horst. Natsu, Wendy, I'll see you soon."

"Bye!" Wendy waved as she watched him walk off.

"Later, man!" Natsu said as he waved good-bye as well. Turning to Horst with surprising eagerness, he said, "Okay, now where's the food?"

* * *

Natsu and Wendy were one their way to the house that Horst had told them about, saying that he would be home soon. "This place doesn't seem too bad," Wendy said they walked through the main road. "That guy Sloan seemed mean, but Mister Horst and Eragon are both very nice. I just hope that his wife Miss Elaine is as nice as he is."

"I just hope that they feed me," Natsu muttered sourly.

"You'll find both food and pleasantries at the home of Horst," an older man's voice said from behind them. The two young dragon slayers turned around with surprise to see a man with a gray-white beard walking behind them with a walking stick carved with strange runes. How old he was exactly seemed impossible for Wendy to guess. He looked like he could be well over sixty, but he moved with the ease of youth, not even really using the stick he carried for support.

"Done staring?" he asked sharply as he eyed Wendy from above a hawk-eyed nose.

"Y-Yes sir!" she stammered. "Sorry!"

"Can we help you, old man?" Natsu asked crankily, tired of people getting in the way of his dinner.

The man's gray eyebrows met in a dark 'V' above his forehead as he said, "You're a rather rude individual, aren't you? Here I was hoping to ask your names- strangers aren't very common in Carvahall."

"I'm sorry about him," Wendy said as she bowed nervously. "I'm Wendy, and this is my frie- er, cousin, Natsu."

"Wendy, is it?" the man said as she straightened. "You seem like a nice young lady. How is it that your 'cousin' doesn't share in your manners?" The way that he said the word 'cousin' gave the two friends a sinking feeling.

"Hey man, if you're gonna be asking questions, you better be ready to answer some!" Natsu said hotly. "You ask our names, but you don't wanna give yours?"

"I never said I wouldn't," the old man said mildly. "If you must know, I'm the town's storyteller. My name is Brom."

" _Huh_?" Wendy and Natsu said together. "This old gasbag's the guy Eragon was telling us about?" Natsu added.

"How do you know Eragon?" Brom's frown was back.

"Uh, he found us after we got lost in the woods last night," Wendy said timidly. "He was the one that helped us find a place to stay for a few days."

"Sounds like him, all right," Brom muttered to himself. Looking up sharply, he said, "Well, enjoy your stay here in Carvahall. May the stars watch over you until we next meet." He then shook hands with the both of them, none too gently, either. And he went on his way, a thoughtful expression on his face.

As the two of them resumed their original trek, Wendy noticed Natsu sniffing at his right hand. "Natsu, what are you doing?" she asked, conscious of the one or two curious looks being cast their way.

"That smell…" he said as he lowered his hand and frowned. "There's no doubt about it."

"What are you talking about, Natsu?" Wendy asked the older dragon slayer.

"That guy…" Natsu looked down sharply at Wendy as he said, "I thought I recognized that scent. He smells like a dragon."

"A… dragon?" Wendy repeated. "You mean, he's a dragon slayer like us?"

"I dunno, but I never forget a smell, and that guy definitely smelled a lot like Ingeel," Natsu said under his breath, tucking his face partially into his white scarf that he never let out of his sight. "I dunno if that means he's a dragon slayer, but he's definitely spent a lot of time around a dragon before. The scent is kinda faded, but it's definitely there."

"But…" Wendy frowned. "Given what Eragon said, that's impossible, right? I mean, he said that the dragons haven't been seen in over a hundred years here."

"Ugh…" Natsu groaned. "I can't think on an empty stomach… Let's get some dinner and then come back to this, 'kay?"

"Of course, Natsu," Wendy sighed heavily. "Let's get to Mister Horst's home, then."

* * *

 **Gajeel: Are you friggin' kidding me?! Salamander and the little pipsqueak get to have all the fun while I gotta sit around and wait for them to get back?!**

 **Levy: Hey, calm down, big guy! It's not like we're all gonna die if we get a chance just to lounge around for a little while, doing nothing.**

 **Gajeel: Yeah, but now I'm bored! Ugh, I need something to hit...**

 **Levy: Uh... How about instead of breaking stuff, we tell the readers about a new poll that's only gonna be up for a week on Mataras' profile?**

 **Gajeel: You mean that thing where people get to pick whether or not some punk named Roran gets to learn magic or not?**

 **Levy: Bingo!**

 **Gajeel: Boring.**

 **Levy: Well, you're gonna have to come up with something to entertain yourself! Something that doesn't involve fighting!**

 **Gajeel: Wait... Entertainment?**

 **Levy: Oh, wait... Oh no.**

 **Lucy: Hey, Levy! Where's Gajeel going in such a hurry?**

 **Levy: I just made a terrible mistake...**

 **Lucy: What? What happened?**

 **Gajeel: Shooby doo bop!**

 **Lucy: Tell me you're not responsible for this...**


	3. Magic Revealed

**A/N: Alright, it has been decided! Roran will be learning magic in this story! When? Read long enough to found out. Where? Same answer. Be sure to leave reviews, I love hearing what you guys have to say!**

* * *

Magic Revealed

Natsu and Wendy stepped up to the porch of Horst's home, Wendy knocking timidly on the door, afraid that if Natsu did it, he might break it down. They waited a few moments before a middle-aged woman opened the door. She seemed surprised at the sight of the two young people, so Wendy said, "Um… Hi. Is this the home of Mister Horst?"

"Yes, I'm his wife," the woman replied. "Can I or my sons help you with anything?"

"Oh, so you're Elaine, then!" Natsu said with a bright smile. "Your husband said that it's be cool if we crashed here for the night as long as we helped out around the house!"

"He… did?" Elaine seemed wary, and Wendy could understand. "Do you have some kind of proof of this?"

"Huh?" Natsu froze. "Aw, crap. We shoulda thought of that before, shouldn't we?"

"I'm sorry, but unless you have someone who can vouch for you, I can't just let you in," Elaine replied softly. "I am sorry. If you really did speak with my husband, would you object to waiting outside until he comes home?"

"Not at all," Wendy answered. "We apologize for the trouble, ma'am."

Elaine smiled and said, "You seem like a nice couple of kids. If you really are staying with us tonight, I wouldn't mind having such polite guests." As she closed the door, Wendy giggled at the thought of Natsu being polite. She was lucky that he hadn't just smashed down the door to let himself in.

"Man, this sucks!" the boy groaned as he sat down on the porch. "Now I _still_ gotta wait to eat something!" Before he could continue complaining, Elaine reappeared at the door with a apir of meat pies in each hand.

"I see no reason why I can't give a pair of hungry children a bit of a meal, though," she said with a smile. "Enjoy them, please."

Natsu's eyes lit up with delight and he snatched one of the pies and immediately started wolfing it down with great speed, much to Elaine's surprise. "I'm sorry about him…" Wendy said with an embarrassed smile. "Thank you very much, Miss Elaine. You're a nice lady."

"Thank you, child," Elaine said with another smile. To Wendy's surprise, she made no move to go back inside, but instead moved to I down on the porch with the two children. "Your parents did a good job in raising you."

"Oh!" Wendy exclaimed as she bit into the meat pie. She swallowed the delicious piece and replied, "Well, thank you! Gre- Er, my mother always taught me to be polite with strangers." Looking over at Natsu, who was still attacking his pie, she sighed and said, "It's a shame that Mister Igneel didn't exactly do the same with Natsu."

"Where are your parents?" Elaine wondered curiously.

Wendy's face became overshadowed as she took another bite and swallowed pat the lump in her throat. "Both Natsu's dad and my mom disappeared seven years ago. We haven't seen them since then."

"Oh my goodness, I'm so sorry!" Elaine gasped. "I had no business asking that of you! I deeply apologize!"

"No, it's okay," Wendy mumbled. "We've um… We were travelling with a group of friends, but we got kind of lost and wound up in the Spine. We wanted to head to Theirnsford after we stayed here for a bit, hoping to find some… distant family members." She felt bad about lying to Elaine, but if they were to tell the truth, they would either be ridiculed or feared. "Eragon introduced us to your husband this earlier today, which is how we ended up here."

"Oh, so you met Eragon, did you?" Elaine smiled. "I've always thought that he was a pleasant young man. His Uncle Garrow raised him well."

"His uncle?" Wendy asked after another bite of food.

"Yes, the poor boy," Elaine sighed. "His mother showed up one day out of nowhere, gave birth to him five months later, and then vanished the next morning. The poor boy never got the chance to meet her, and he's never known his father. Even his aunt passed away, which was quite the blow for him."

"That's so terrible," Wendy said sadly. "At least I got to be with my mother for a while before she left. Poor Eragon…"

"Man that was awesome!" Natsu suddenly cried while leaping into the air. "Oh man, I've got a fire in my belly now!" Elaine looked at him, dumbfounded at his change in attitude.

Wendy giggled and said, "Food always makes Natsu happy. If he's feeling down, a good meal will cheer him right up!"

"Um, pardon me for asking…" Elaine said as she peered closely at Natsu. "But when you said you were travelling with friends, were they perchance a trader's guild?"

"Uh…" Wendy balked, not sure how to describe her friends in Fairy Tail without stretching the truth too far.

"Nah, we're a wizard's guild!" Natsu grinned happily. At first Wendy nearly had a heart attack, but then he added, "We did all kinds of tricks, and if somebody needed our help, we never turned 'em down!"

"Magic tricks?" Elaine asked with a confused expression. "What kind of tricks do you do?"

 _Oh no_ … Wendy thought. _Please don't, Natsu! Don't do it!_

The pink-haired boy grinned and said, "Well, if you have fire on a stick or something, I can show you my tricks! Wendy here was our acrobat- sometimes you'd swear that the wind itself was helping her!"

"How so?" Elaine wondered aloud.

"She can show you now!" Natsu grinned as he winked at the petrified girl. "Can't you, Wendy?"

"Uh… That might not be the best idea…" Wendy said hesitantly.

"Please, do show me," Elaine said with a smile. "I'd like to see what kind of trick you can do, Wendy."

"Well, okay…" Wendy got to her feet and handed Elaine her pie. "Just so you know, my stage name was the Sky Dragon Wizard, so don't get freaked out when I pull out my stuff, okay?"

"I promise I won't," Elaine smiled wider. "Sky Dragon, hmm? Sounds interesting."

Wendy took a deep breath and crouched slightly in the middle of the street. Then she shouted, "Magic of the sky, lend me your power!" Her body glowed slightly just before she leaped up high, and came down in an arc to land on the roof of Horst's two-story house.

Elaine gaped at the sight while Natsu laughed and said, "Nice work, Wendy!"

"That…" Elaine gasped. "That was amazing! How did you do that?!"

Wendy leaped down and bowed at her waist before she straightened with a smile and said, "A magician never reveals her secrets." Behind Elaine, Natsu gave her a thumbs-up. _I guess he's smarter than he looks sometimes,_ she thought to herself. _Telling her it was a trick actually worked somehow..._

"Elaine?" a deep, familiar voice said, catching the attention of the three people outside. "Is everything alright?" Horst asked.

"Oh, nothing!" Elaine said with a smile as she embraced her husband. "These two were just showing me a trick that they used to perform- Wendy here is quite talented!"

"Is she now?" Horst said with a raised eyebrow. "So they used to be entertainers, eh? I suppose that would explain the strange hair color and symbol on their shoulders…"

"You got a problem with my hair?!" Natsu cried, instantly angry.

"Natsu, calm down!" Wendy begged as she held him back while he rambled angrily. "He didn't mean anything by it!"

"Dad always said my hair looked great!" he shouted, still angry, much to the older people's bewilderment. "He said it made me look like a Fire Dragon Wizard he could be proud of!"

Elaine whispered something to Horst, whereupon his gaze softened and he said, "I apologize, Natsu. I didn't know it meant that much to you. Why don't I show you where you'll be staying the night so we can get to dinner?"

I'm gonna- Food?" he suddenly stopped yelling. "Well why didn't you just say so?" he grinned happily.

Again, Horst and Elaine were taken aback by his rapid attitude change. When they looked at Wendy as he walked in the house, she sighed heavily and said, "I'm so sorry… I know he can be a bit much, but I promise he means well."

"Don't worry about him lass," Horst chuckled. "I'd rather deal with him than Sloan any day of the week. And besides, I'll make sure he's good and tired out after I put him to work in the forge tomorrow."

* * *

The meal was delicious, and the two young wizards found Albreich and Baldor, Horst's sons to be very nice people. In a way, the manner in which they would bicker with one another in a friendly banter reminded them of team Shadowgear.

They were made to sleep in the same room- as far as Horst's family knew, they were cousins, and they only had the one spare room- but Natsu simply took a pillow and slept on the floor, saying that he never got cold because of his fire dragon magic. When she tried to overcome her embarrassment and insist that he sleep on the bed, he simply grinned and said, "Nah, I've had rougher nights out in the field. I'll be fine." And so they had spent the night thus, both of them exhausted by recent events.

* * *

In the morning, Baldor woke them up, starting with Wendy. But before he could wake up Natsu, Wendy grabbed his hand and said, "No, wait! Let me do it!"

"Why?" the young man asked, confused. "Does it really matter who wakes him up?"

"Yeah, uh… Just let me do it," Wendy grinned nervously. "He gets kind rowdy in the morning… Just watch." Taking the pillow off of her bed, she proceeded to crawl to the edge of the bed and then hit him with the pillow while shouting, "Natsu! Gray's gonna eat your breakfast if you don't get downstairs!"

" _WHAT_?!" the boy shouted, instantly awake and on his feet. "I'll kill that jerk! No one gets to eat me breakfast before me!" Wendy hit him in the face again with the pillow.

"Natsu!" she shouted. "You were dreaming."

"Huh?!" he said, looking around, realizing that he wasn't in the guild hall. "Oh, right! Well, gotta get downstairs anyways! Maybe there's a job we can do around here today!" And he bolted out of the room, happy as could be.

Baldor had watched the whole thing, dumbstruck. "Is… Is he always like that?" he asked.

"Most of the time…" Wendy sighed.

"Why did you need to wake him up like that, though?" the young man wondered aloud.

"Trust me, with Natsu, you learn pretty fast that you gotta be careful in your approach," the girl mumbled as she climbed out of bed. "Just ask Eragon about what happened when he tried to wake him up."

* * *

Later, Horst had Natsu in the forge while Wendy worked on house cleaning with Elaine. "All right, boy," Horst said as he showed Natsu the furnace. "We need to get this thing nice and hot. The wood is already inside, so let's-"

"Oh, you need a big fire, huh?" Natsu grinned devilishly. "That's my specialty. Get me a stick with a flame, and I'll get that little oven of yours going in to time flat."

Before Horst could come up with a reply, Baldor walked in and said, "I have the torch father. Sorry it took so- Oei, what are doing?!" His cry was drawn out as Natsu snatched the flaming brand with a hungry eye.

"Alright!" he laughed. "Just what I needed!" And then he stuck the fire in his mouth before anybody could stop him. Horst and his son looked at the boy, dumbstruck as he swallowed it, then belched a bit of smoke.

"All right!" he laughed with a dangerous glint in his eyes. "Not much, but then I don't need much for this!" Aiming his body right at the forge, he shouted, " _Fire Dragon ROAR_!" A roaring fire shot from his mouth, instantly lighting the furnace with an intense fire that made the other men wince in shock.

Turning to the dumbstruck smiths, he grinned and said, "Ha! Still got it! Fire-eating champion, Natsu Dragneel at your service!"

"H- H- How…?" Baldor gaped.

"Wizard trade secret," Natsu grinned wider. "Can't tell you that."

"Was that… actual magic?" Horst asked in shock.

Natsu shrugged and said, "I guess you could say that, though mine's a special kind." For a moment, neither men said anything in response.

Then Baldor grinned and said, "Amazing! If I could learn magic like that, I'd be a master smith in no time! Why didn't you tell us you were actual wizards?!"

"Eh, Wendy thought you'd be scared of us or something," Natsu shrugged. "I dunno why we had to hide it, really."

"Well…" Horst said, rubbing his beard. "I don't have a problem with it, as long as you don't hurt anyone with it… But your young cousin was right, you shouldn't go flaunting that about- I've no fear of you, but if that was your first impression on someone, they might become very frightened of you."

"Yeah, you shoulda seen Eragon the other night!" Natsu laughed. "He was totally freakin' out, man!" He doubled over laughing.

"Wait, Eragon knew?" Horst mused. "Ah well, it doesn't matter. We've got work to do. Baldor, show Natsu how to manage the fires and where to chop the wood." He cracked his knuckles and moved to fetch the materials he needed for a set of horseshoes.

* * *

By the end of the day, Natsu was still full of energy, and he was bored. "Man, isn't there a place we can go to kill time?" he grumbled as he hauled the last of the wood with Baldor.

"We could go to Morn's tavern for dinner if you'd like," the other young man offered. "I was going to meet a couple of friends there anyways. Would you care to tag along?"

"Sure, why not?" Natsu muttered. "It'll be something."

* * *

And so they headed off down the street while Wendy stayed behind- Baldor said that the tavern was no place for a young girl. Wendy told Natsu to be careful and not to cause any trouble while he was out. "Hey, I never cause trouble!" Natsu shouted as Baldor dragged him away by the scarf like Wendy told him to do. "It's always those idiots Gray and Gajeel!"

The tavern actually kind of reminded Natsu of the old guild hall as he looked around. The crowd was a little older, and there was no job request board, but it still reminded him of Fairy Tail. He sighed heavily and sat down at a booth, telling Baldor that he would catch up in a bit.

His eyes wandered around the place, only lingering on certain spots every now and again. Mostly, his mind filled the place with his memories of days past, days spent with Lisanna, Erza, Mira, Elfman, Gray, and even Lucy. His eyes glinted with tears as he remembered his white-haired friend.

"Hello there!" a burly man shouted loudly, sitting across from Natsu, uninvited. "Care to drown yer shorrowsh?" From his flushed neck and slurred speech, it was easy to tell that he was drunk.

"Not interested," Natsu replied sourly.

"Not intereshted?" the man repeated. "Thatsh pwetty wude of you…" He belched and giggled, further adding to Natsu's disgust.

"Lay off, pal," he snapped. "I'm not in the mood."

"Eric, leave the boy alone," Baldor said as he was flanked by two of his friends. "He said he's not interested in your company, and I wouldn't mess with him."

"Ish that sho?" the man said, staggering to his feet. "I think… hic… that you should… go home… boysh… Thish ish fer men… only." And then he shoved Baldor over with surprising force, sending him reeling into his friends. They all collapsed, and several of the customers started laughing.

They stopped when Natsu shot to his feet with fire in his eyes and- literally- in his fists. "I said to knock it off!" he roared as Eric stared at the fire, wide eyed. " _Fire Dragon IRON FIST_!" The powerful blow smashed into the man's stomach, sending him flying into a table, breaking it instantly. He advanced on the man, snarling, "Next time you wanna pick on one of my friends, you'd better make sure I'm not around to hear about it!"

"Natsu, stop!" Baldor called out. "It's not worth it!" The pink-haired boy growled softly, then ceased using his fire.

Walking out the door, he said to Baldor, "I'm going back. Sorry about this, pal." And he left, shoulders slumped and head hanging.

* * *

He was on his way to the house when he ran into the old man from before. "You," he said in surprise.

"You have some explaining to do, boy," Brom replied shortly. "Like who you really are and where you come from. And don't bother lying to me- I know the presence of magic."

"You've got some explaining to do yourself," Natsu grinned savagely. "Eragon told me that dragons haven't been around for over a hundred years. So why do you still smell like one?"

Brom's eyes widened and he stepped closer to Natsu, hissing sharply, "What do you know about that?"

"You wanna know where I come from, I wanna know why you smell like a dragon," Natsu replied, still smiling. "I'll start by telling you that Wendy and I are not from this world as far as I can tell. Now, your turn. Why do you smell like my dad?"

"Your father?" Brom asked, bewildered.

"Yeah, Wendy and I were raised by dragons where we come from," Natsu replied. "Now spill it: why do you smell like a dragon?"

"Hmm…" Brom scowled. "This is not a conversation for outdoors. Come to my house. I will tell you what I can."

"Fine, but I'd better get the answers I'm looking for," Natsu answered.

"Come then, and I will tell you the tale of how our world came to be without dragons and their riders, save one," Brom said as he started walking back to his home. "Allow me to tell you why those with any real knowledge of dragons are exterminated in Alegesia."

* * *

 **Makarov: Natsu, you idiot! How could you just use your magic like that?!**

 **Mirajane: Master, calm down. He'll be fine- he's Natsu, after all!**

 **Makarov: Still, he shouldn't be making such bold moves when he's got wendy to take care of! What all these people think that they're some kind of demons like in Edolas?!**

 **Mirajane: Well, from what I can see, Mister Horst and his family seem pretty down-to-earth. I think that they'll be fine!**

 **Makarov: One family isn't the entire town... Ugh, I hope Mataras knows what he's doing with those two.**

 **Mataras: You doubt my abilities?**

 **Mirajane/Makarov: GAH! When did you get here?!**

 **Mataras: Again, I'm always here... In any case, you can all relax, they'll be fine. I promise.**


	4. A Rider and a Slayer

**A/N: Hello everybody! I am back, and I do apologize for the lack of any real fight scenes, but I will be getting to those in about three chapters or so, so just hang in there! A lot of build-up is needed for this story, and I hope that I'm not making it too boring! Please let me know what you think with a PM or a review and I will do my best to respond!**

* * *

A Rider and a Slayer

"All right, old man," Natsu said as he plopped down on a chair by a fire place. "You gonna tell me what's goin' on here, or what?"

Brom glared at him as he took his own seat and lit up a pipe. "Where has this generation's respect gone for its elders?" he muttered as he used a flint to light the pipe. In a louder voice, he said, "Before we begin, I want to make something very clear, boy. What is about to be discussed in here will not reach the ears of anyone without my express permission. Which is why I'm going to have to teach you how to prevent either of us from speaking of this topic without the other giving permission."

"How're you gonna do that?" Natsu asked, curious.

"By teaching you certain words in a certain language," Brom replied. "While speaking in this language, the Ancient Language, it is impossible to tell falsehoods. Which means that any promises you make in it are binding, even unto death."

"How do you get an enchantment to work like that?" Natsu wondered. "I guess it's kinda like the language that Freed uses… Gah! My head hurts just thinkin' about it!"

Brom watched with a mixture of amusement and bewilderment as Natsu pulled on his hair as he tried to wrap his head around how such a magic could exist. "It doesn't matter _how_ it works for now," Brom explained. "You simply need to repeat after me…" And out of his mouth came a series of words that Natsu had never heard before, but he understood all the same.

"Whoa, what'd you do just now?" Natsu demanded. "I'd never heard that language before, but I understood that you were promisin' not to tell anybody whatever we talk about here tonight!"

"The Ancient Language is understood by all living beings because it is the root language that embodies the true nature of all things in the world, describing their true nature," Brom answered. When all Natsu did was give him a blank look, Brom sighed and said, "Never mind. Just repeat what I tell you, and then I will answer your questions." And so he spent the next twenty minutes teaching the hot-headed dragon slayer what to say and how to say it.

When they were finally done, Natsu cracked his knuckles and said, "All right, you old windbag. Why do you smell like a dragon? And how'd you know I have magic?"

"I suppose I smell like a dragon, because…" Brom's voice fell very quiet. "I was once a Dragon Rider."

"You rode a dragon?!" Natsu exclaimed. "Hang on sec! Eragon said that dragons died off a hundred years ago! Are you seriously saying that you're that old?!"

"I am older," Brom nodded. "I am old enough to remember a time when the Riders reigned in all their glory, and peace flourished across Alagaesia."

"Wait, so your magic lets you live for a long time?" Natsu asked.

"Aye," Brom nodded again. "In this world, a select few humans and elves would be chosen to be linked to a dragon at the soul, thus granting us their longevity and magical abilities. Even though elves already possess magic automatically, theirs is far increased when they join with a dragon."

"Huh…?" Natsu cocked his head, clearly confused.

Brom sighed in frustration and said, "Humans that rode dragons live for a very long time and gained magical powers."

"Oh!" Natsu grinned. "That makes way more sense!"

"Now it's your turn," Brom said sharply. "How were you able to smell a dragon's scent on me, even after a hundred years of having not ridden one?"

"Eh…" Natsu shrugged. "Humans just kinda smell different after they spend a long enough time with a dragon. I can always sniff out Wendy since she's a dragon slayer like me."

"You killed dragons?" Brom's eyes were alight with a dangerous gleam.

"What?!" Natsu shouted. "No! The only dragon I ever met was Igneel! He's the dragon that raised me- my father!"

"You were raised by a dragon to be a dragon killer?" Brom asked, still suspicious.

"Sorta," Natsu admitted. "Dragon Slayers in my world are humans that train to become as powerful as dragons. It's lost magic, so not many people can use it, and there's different ways to learn it."

"How so?" Brom asked, taking another puff on his pipe.

"Eh, you could be trained by a dragon, which is how Wendy and I did it, or you can have a lacrima put inside ya and study it out of books," Natsu shrugged again. Then he grinned. "Too bad for those second-rate Dragon Slayers that I always kick their butts."

"What exactly does your magic allow you to do?" Brom inquired, eyes narrowed.

"Pretty much anything a fire dragon can do," Natsu bragged easily. "Smell is a big one for a Fire Dragon, but others can do it too. Wendy can taste stuff better than me, and she's got a good nose, too. But I know a lot more attack spells that she does cos she's a Sky Dragon Slayer."

"Do you have to speak magical words to use your magic?" Brom asked.

"Nah, I don't have to," Natsu replied. "Some of it's just there all the time, like my sense of smell. It also helps me focus my attacks when I do use fire spells. Why, do you have to?"

"Were you not listening earlier?!" Brom shouted. "I told you that the Ancient Language is what describes all things in their entirety! Of course you need to know spells in the language to cast them!"

"Geez, take it easy, old-timer," Natsu said as he leaned back in his chair. "Might give yourself a heart attack or something."

"Insolent little brat…" Brom scowled.

"Okay, old man," Natsu said, earning him another fierce scowl from Brom. "My turn again. Our dragons left seven years ago without a word. Why'd yours take off on ya?"

"They didn't leave," Brom answered, his gaze weakening considerably. "They were all killed in a war."

"What?" Natsu gasped.

"The man that rules now as king was once a rider like me," Brom said with another scowl. "But he was driven mad by the loss of his own dragon when she was killed by monsters known as urgals. When he was denied a second dragon by the council that ruled the Riders, he went to extreme lengths to exact his revenge on the Riders. He stole another dragon hatchling and forced it to serve him. He also convinced thirteen other Riders, whom we now know as the Forsworn, to help him kill every last Rider and dragon. Eventually, the Forsworn were killed in battle or by suicide, and now Galbatorix is the only Rider left."

"But wait, I thought you were a Rider!" Natsu protested.

"I _was_ a Rider," Brom said with a frown. "My dragon was killed by a man that I once called a friend."

"Oh…" Natsu said, chastened. "I'm sorry to hear that."

"You should be," Brom scowled harder. "Tell me Natsu, why are you here? How did you get here, if you truly are from another world like you claim?"

"I dunno, really," Natsu said he scratched his head. "We were in a freaky place called Edolas where we ran into other versions of ourselves and our magic didn't work until we ate these weird marble things. When we were on our way back home with a spell called the Anima, this green fire gate showed up outta nowhere and then we ended up running into Eragon in the forest. Now we have no idea how to get back home to Earthland."

"Hmm…" Brom mused. "I will have to meditate on the matter. For now, lay low and try to avoid calling attention to yourself and your friend, you understand?"

"Hey, who made you the boss?!" Natsu said angrily.

"I did," Brom scowled. "And if you want my help to get home, you'd better not cause any trouble, you hear?"

"Wait, how are you supposed to help us?" Natsu asked.

"I'm not just an old man that used to know a thing or two about magic," Brom grumbled as he gestured for Natsu to leave. "I've lived here peacefully for almost twenty years, and I've had a lot of time to read and research the magic of this world, as well as the rumors surrounding other worlds. Nobody else in Carvahall is going to be able to help you like I can."

"Oh," Natsu said as he reached the door. "Well then, thanks… I think?"

"You don't seem to do a lot of thinking," Brom muttered. "Just remember, the oath you took in the Ancient Language will prevent you from telling others what we were talking about tonight. You can tell them that we spoke, but not _what_ we spoke of. You understand?"

"Yeah, yeah," Natsu said dismissively. "But what's up with all the secrecy?"

"Remember how I told you about the king?" Brom said quietly.

"Yeah, the jerk with the second dragon?" Natsu said. "What about him?"

"He doesn't like hearing about new dragons in Alagaesia that are not under his control. If he finds that I'm here, he'll kill me. And if he finds you or your friend, you'll wish you were dead." With that, the door slammed shut.

"Jerk," Natsu grumbled as he walked off. "He didn't give me anything to eat."

* * *

"Natsu, where were you?!" Wendy cried as she hugged the pink-haired boy when he walked into their room. "Baldor said that you left the tavern and then we didn't know where you were!"

"Sorry, Wendy," Natsu grinned ruefully. "I was just talking to that old guy, Brom."

"The guy that smelled like a dragon?" Wendy asked with a lowered voice. "Why? What did he want?"

"He wanted to talk about-" Natsu tried to keep talking to say, 'Dragons and where we came from'. But true to Brom's word, he wasn't able to get his mouth to work as soon as he tried to speak of what he had discussed. "Stupid old man!" Natsu growled. "He did something with his-" He wanted to say, 'weird old magic', but again, the oaths that he had sworn in the Ancient Language prevented him from doing so.

"Natsu, what are you talking about?" Wendy asked, feeling like she was missing something or other. It wasn't like Natsu to keep secrets on purpose from members of Fairy Tail, unless he had just forgotten. But not even he could have forgotten what he was just talking about, could he?

"Ah, you'll just have to talk to him yourself," Natsu grumbled. "He won't let me tell anybody what we talked about."

"Why not?" Wendy asked, now even more curious.

"I can't say why," Natsu growled, clearly frustrated. "Let's go visit him tomorrow, and then we can get some answers out of him for ya."

"Okay," Wendy shrugged. "I still don't see why you can't tell me what you guys talked about. Was it that bad?"

"Natsu hesitated, which was unusual for him. "I dunno what it means for us," he finally said. "But I don't like some of what he said."

"Well, if you can't tell me about it, I guess we should just go to sleep then," Wendy sighed as she got under the covers of her borrowed bed. To her surprise, Natsu moved to tuck the blankets a little more firmly around her body before laying down on the floor. "Thanks, Natsu."

"Anything for another member of Fairy Tail," Natsu smiled. But a few moments later, Wendy noticed through half-closed eyes that he was frowning slightly, deep in thought.

 _Whatever Mister Brom said must have been pretty serious_ , Wendy thought as she closed her eyes again. _I just hope that it's nothing too dangerous, like the Oracion Seis or Edolas._

* * *

The next day, they headed down to breakfast together. Natsu got a fire going in the oven for the family, much to their appreciation. When they had all sat down to eat, Wendy said, "So, um… If it's okay, Natsu and I would like to go visit Mister Brom later today, if that's okay?"

"Not today, child," Elaine said with a shake of her head. "It would be a little too dangerous for you both- you'd easily end up lost."

"How come's that?" Natsu said with a frown. "There's just the one big road through here, isn't there? Even I'm not that dumb to get lost on a one-way street." Wendy hid a smile at that- she could easily see Natsu getting confused by a new street, no matter where he went. Although, he did have a good sense of smell to help with that from time to time.

"It's not the directions that we're concerned about, boy," Horst admonished. "Did you not look outside when you arose this morning?"

"Huh?" Natsu asked, looking at the window. "Hey, where'd the street go? All I see is a bunch of white everywhere? And it's kinda makin' me mad, but I don't know why…" He clenched his fist as he looked out the glass.

"It's a snowstorm, Natsu," Wendy sighed. "Miss Elaine is right, even we couldn't find our way through all of that. And even if your fire magic could clear a path, you'd only end up drawing a lot of attention to yourself."

"I'll bet that idiot gray did this," Natsu scowled as he got up out of his seat. "I'm gonna go and give him a-"

"Gray's not anywhere near here, Natsu," Wendy reminded him.

"Wha-? Oh, right," he mumbled as he sat back down. "Man, I was looking forward to a good fight. The only action I've had here was some drunk idiot at the tavern."

"Yes, but I'll ask you not to show off like that again," Baldor said sharply. "You could have hurt him more than necessary, and not to mention half the village is talking about you- and not in a good way."

"I suppose we should thank this storm, then," Horst muttered. "By the time it clears, everyone will likely have passed it off as the ramblings of some drunken troublemakers."

"Let us hope that is the case," Albreich said with folded arms and a frown. "Otherwise things may end up looking nasty for us, Father."

"Well, I for one am glad to have two such nice guests," Elaine said with a smile as Wendy sank in her chair, embarrassed by the scene Natsu had caused. "I must say, they did bring a bit of excitement with them, something you don't see often in Carvahall."

"True," Horst nodded. "And the traders should be here soon, hopefully. I would imagine that this weather will slow them down, but I doubt that they won't come at all. And who knows? Maybe they will know where you can find your friends."

"I hope so," Wendy sighed, knowing already that they would find no help from these 'traders'. Right now it seemed that their best bet was Brom, but he seemed to be a very strange man, and she wasn't sure how much they could trust him.

Natsu said nothing, instead burying his mouth and nose into his scarf, as was his habit whenever he was wrestling with something difficult. There was still something at the back of his mind that was bothering him about this place, but he couldn't put his finger on it. He sighed to himself and hoped that it would come to him soon. After all, he wasn't going to be able to do much until the snow cleared, it seemed.

* * *

 **Gray: Man, he's never gonna learn, is he? Trying to break the rules of magic just a few minutes after he learns 'em. Typical.**

 **Erza: Give him a break, Gray. Natsu has pulled off several feats that many would consider to be impossible because of his forgetfulness. It lets him stretch his imagination, an important thing for any wizard.**

 **Gray: Yeah, yeah, but things don't look like they work the same in that world.**

 **Juvia: Well, I think that my beloved would be able to use whatever rules he wanted wherever he went!**

 **Gray: AAAAAH! Where'd you come from?!**

 **Juvia: I'm always near to my beloved so that I can keep him safe should the need arise!**

 **Gray: There's no fighting in this part of the chapter! There's no chance of me being in any danger!**

 **Gajeel: Iron Dragon _CLUB_!**

 **Laxus: Thunder Dragon _ROAR_!**

 **Gray: I think I'm gonna use my ice-maker magic to make a gun now...**

 **Erza: Why?**

 **Gray: So I can just shoot myself.**


	5. The Egg

**A/N: All right! I'm all fired up about this next chapter, because we are about to see some MAJOR changes that will have some serious ripple effects later on in this fanfiction.**

* * *

The Egg

After a week in the house without any way to go outside, Natsu had decided that he was going to melt his way out, onlookers or no. He said that he needed to blow off some steam or he was going to burst. Wendy tried to get him to stop by holding on to his arm to drag him down, but he easily kept moving. She noticed with exasperation that he was well-built and made of solid muscle while she was small and light. He carried her like she wasn't even there.

As he walked to the door, he was surprised to see Baldor coming in from outside with a happy look on his face. "The traders are here!" he exclaimed.

"Finally!" at least three people in the house said at once.

* * *

Natsu and Wendy elected to look around on their own, saying that the family should be able to get to their business without any interruptions. "Very well," Elaine had said. "Just be sure to meet us at the town center by nightfall to listen to some stories."

"We will," Wendy had replied. Then she accepted some coins so that they could by some food if they needed it. And with that, they parted ways.

"I wonder if Mister Brom is around?" Wendy asked aloud. In response, Natsu started sniffing at the air, trying to catch his scent.

Then he grinned and said, "Got him. Come on, this way!" He started running off in the direction that he had picked out, with Wendy close behind him. He finally slowed down when they reached a back alley. But to their surprise, it wasn't Brom that they found, but Eragon and two other men with him. They were all working on unloading a cart, and didn't notice the two wizards staring at them.

"What's wrong, Natsu?" Wendy asked as she noticed the boy's frown.

"I thought I was smelling that old windbag," Natsu replied. "But the smell's comin' from Eragon now."

"Wait, does that mean-?"

"That's not all," Natsu interrupted. His eyes took on a bright gleam as he said, "There's a dragon near to him somewhere. I can't see it, but the smell is definitely there."

"So he's been in contact with a dragon?" Wendy asked excitedly. Before Natsu could answer, though, his jaw dropped as he watched Eragon take a large blue stone out from the cart and quickly stuff it in a sack.

"That's it!" he laughed. "That's not a stone! It's a dragon egg getting ready to hatch!"

"What?!" Wendy gasped. That's when they were spotted by Eragon and his companions.

"Ho there!" said the other young man as the older one eyed them warily. He looked to be a little older than Eragon, and by his physical appearance, they concluded that this was likely Eragon's cousin, Roran. "May we help you? Perhaps you'd like to purchase some of our vegetables?" He slapped the sac he was carrying with a large smile.

"Where are you taking that?" Natsu said as he pointed at Eragon's pack.

"To trade it," Eragon said with a frown. Turning to the older man, he said, "That's Natsu Dragneel and Wendy Marvell, the two that I found wandering around in the Spine."

"Ah," the older man nodded, though his wary gaze stayed on the two children. "Good day, children. My name is Garrow, I'm Eragon's uncle. Sorry, but we have business elsewhere, so you'll just have to wait until tonight to catch up with Eragon."

"You're gonna trade that?!" Natsu almost shouted as he walked down to stand not five feet away from Eragon, who eyed him warily, unsure if the boy was going to burst into flames. "Why in the world would you get rid of a dragon egg?!"

"A _what_?!" Eragon gaped. "Wh- How- What are you talking about?!"

"Are you mad?" Roran said as he moved to stand beside his cousin. "Dragons haven't been around for years, assuming _that's_ even true. What in the world makes you say that what Eragon carries is a dragon egg?"

"I think I'd recognize a dragon's smell if I came near it," Natsu replied sharply.

Before he could say any more, though, Wendy tugged on his sleeve and said, "Natsu, wait! We shouldn't talk about this out here! We might get in trouble!"

"I don't have time for nonsense," Garrow muttered. "There's no such thing as dragons, riders, or magic."

"How about Dragon Slayers?" Natsu challenged. "You don't believe in magic? Then follow us and we'll prove ya wrong."

"Uncle, let us hear what they have to say," Eragon said to his family. "Please."

"Hmph…" Garrow scowled. "Fine. Roran, go sell the squash while I am forced to listen to the gibberish of children." Natsu growled, but Wendy grabbed his arm to restrain him as best as she could.

* * *

Later, when they were out of the town limits, and no one was around, Garrow said, "Let's make this fast. I want to be rid of that stone as soon as possible and be on our way for dinner at Horst's."

"It's not a stone, pal," Natsu growled. "It's a dragon egg that's gonna hatch in a few weeks if my sense of smell is right. And second of all…" He turned to face away from the town and spread his hands wide out on either side of him. "Take the flames of my right hand!" he shouted as fire blazed to life in the mentioned palm. Garrow's eyes bugged out as Natsu shouted, "And the flames of my left!" Fire danced across his left arm.

Bringing his hands to meet in front of his chest, he shouted, "Put the two together, and you get FIRE DRAGON _BRILLIANT FLAME_!" A ball of fire flew from his outstretched hands and exploded a good five hundred feet away.

"Natsu!" Wendy cried. "You went overboard!"

"Hey! I haven't had a chance to let out any steam all week!"

"By the gods…" Eragon gasped. "That was even more incredible than your fire breath!"

"Thanks man," Natsu grinned. Then he turned to Garrow, whose jaw was still hanging loose and had yet to say a word. "You gettin' it yet?" Natsu demanded. "My magic comes from being raised by a dragon, so I know a dragon's smell when I smell it."

"You… You called yourselves… Dragon Slayers?" Garrow finally managed to get out. "D-Do you kill dragons, then? Is that why you want the sto- egg?"

"No, I don't kill dragons!" Natsu shouted at the sky. "Why does every keep asking me that?! Argh, I'm gonna…" He continued to rant while Wendy decided to explain things to the clearly terrified older man.

"We're called Dragon Slayers because our magic gives us the power of a dragon, and because of that, we also have the power to defeat them," she explained. "That doesn't mean that we actually killed dragons."

"B-But why are you here, then?" Garrow stammered. Eragon looked at his uncle with concern. He had never seen him this unhinged before, and he worried that it might affect his health negatively.

"We're not exactly sure," Wendy sighed. "We were travelling with friends from one world back to our own when we became separated by a strange magic. Then we met your nephew in the woods, and he showed us the way into Carvahall."

"This… I must be in a dream," Garrow muttered as he rubbed his eyes. "Dragons and magic… It's not possible. This can't be real…"

"I assure you that it is very real, Uncle," Eragon said. "I was originally terrified of them, but Natsu and Wendy are both kind-hearted people. They mean us no harm. They only seek to go home to their own family and friends."

"We… We should not have anything to do with this egg, or these people," Garrow shook his head. "Magic will only bring us bad luck, or worse, the attention of the king. We cannot afford to invite his wrath."

"But…" Wendy looked hurt by his words, and Eragon looked at his uncle with a trace of anger in his eyes.

"Now, Uncle, these people have nothing to harm us," he said. "I see no reason for us to be so rude to them."

"It's not a matter of politeness my boy," Garrow said. "It's more to do with your mother, and her wishes."

"My mother?" Eragon asked excitedly.

"Aye," Garrow nodded. "Before she left, she told me to keep you away from magic if I could. That it would bring nothing but sorrow and misfortune upon you."

"When did she say this?" Eragon pressed.

"The night she gave birth to you," Garrow answered. "I always believed it to be hysterics brought on by the difficult birth, but now I see that she was deadly serious. Eragon, you cannot involve yourself in the workings of dragons and magic- it was your mother's wish."

"My mother couldn't have known that my life would involve dragons-" Eragon tried to say, but Garrow would have none of it.

"No!" he barked sharply. "I will not let you ruin your life like your mother did hers!"

"So that's the problem, eh?" They all turned to see that Natsu had finally stopped screaming at the sky. "You don't wanna see your nephew turn into his mother? Well, lemme tell ya somethin'- If you don't wanna get the king's attention, ya better not sell that egg. If he ever finds it, he's gonna wanna know who had it in the first place."

Garrow paled at the thought. Natsu continued to look hard at him and said, "That egg is gonna stay here, and Wendy and I can take care of it if you don't want to. But it's not goin' anywhere, or else you and everyone here is seriously screwed."

"This is why dealing with magic is a bad idea," Garrow grumbled. "In the legends, it always catches you in one trap or another, no matter how hard you try to escape."

"That depends on how you look at magic," Wendy countered. "Some people see it as a trap, but others see at as a gift. One that you can use to protect people and things that you love. It's not all bad, nor is it all good. There are some parts of magic that should never be touched. But then, you could say the same about other things in life."

"Like opium," Eragon sniggered. His uncle rapped him sharply on the head for that, and he instantly sobered up, chastened. "Sorry, Uncle."

"Hmph," he muttered. Turning back to Wendy and Natsu, he said, "How do I know that you won't turn us into the empire once you have the egg yourselves?"

"If we were workin' for the king, you'd be ashes by now," Natsu countered with a growl. "You've seen what my magic can do."

"He makes a good point," Eragon said quietly. "And even if they weren't going to kill us here, what's to stop them from making their report to the king, if they were really working for him? They wouldn't need any real proof. The king could just come down to investigate this himself, or send somebody to do it for him." Garrow flinched at the idea of the king coming to Palancar Valley.

"Sorry pal, but your only options are to let us take the egg, or let Eragon keep it," Natsu said firmly. "Pick one."

"I… I choose to have my nephew look after it," Garrow finally said. "If this is all true, then it would be safest with him. If I let you take it, there's no telling what you would do with it once it's yours. But at least if Eragon has it, I'll know where it is."

"That's great!" Wendy said excitedly as Eragon gave a start of surprise. "You're gonna get to be with a dragon, Eragon! This is so exciting!"

"You'll not breathe a word of this to anyone, do you hear me?" Garrow said with an incredibly stern expression on his face. "If word gets out about this, we could all be in serious trouble."

"I dunno," Natsu shrugged. "Ya might wanna talk to that old windbag, Brom. Isn't he some kinda story expert?" To his relief, the magic of his oath did not gag him as it had before.

"That actually sounds like a good idea," Eragon said excitedly. "Uncle, Brom always seems to know about ancient history and the like. Perhaps we should talk to him."

"Absolutely not," Garrow shook his head. "I just said that we were not to say anything to anyone about this. I'm already going against your mother's wishes, which is bad enough. I'll not take any other unnecessary risks."

"If you don't talk to him about it, we will," Natsu shot back. "The guy knows more that you'd think." Again, he was relieved to find that he could still speak, so long as he did it in a roundabout fashion.

"Is the world conspiring against me?" Garrow groaned to the sky.

"No," Wendy giggled. "Just two wizards and your nephew."

"Fine, fine," he growled. "We will go speak with Brom, so long as I am the only one that does the talking. I don't want him to know that we actually have an egg, do you understand?"

"Yes, Uncle," Eragon nodded.

"Yes sir," Wendy added.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever," Natsu said as he started walking towards town with his hands behind his back. "Let's just get somethin' to eat before we get to that guy's house. He never gives me food."

* * *

They found Brom trading with one of the jewelers. He had just finished making a transaction when he was grabbed by the shoulder and whirled around by Natsu. Once they had eye contact, Natsu said, "It's time we had another chat."

" _You best be careful, boy,"_ Brom's voice echoed in his head, though he did not move his mouth. _"I've struck people for less than that."_

Most people would have been disoriented, but not Natsu, who was already familiar with telepathy magic. So he simply grinned and replied the same way, _You're just a regular bag of tricks, aren't ya? And before we get any further, these guys know that Wendy and I are Dragon Slayers._ Out loud, he said, "These guys have some questions for ya." And he jerked his head at Eragon and Garrow.

"What kind of questions?" Brom said as he shrugged off Natsu's hand.

"Private ones," Garrow replied shortly, clearly uncomfortable.

"There seems to be a lot of those going on these days," Brom mutter as he gave Natsu a pointed look. "Let's talk at my place, then." And he turned on his heel to walk towards his house, not bothering to see if they were following him.

* * *

Much of the conversation that followed ran along the lines of what Brom had told Natsu, though he left out the parts about himself being a Rider and the fact that he could use magic. The parts that Natsu hadn't heard before included the history of how dragons and elves had once been enemies before an elf named Eragon managed to befriend a dragon and arrange peace between the two races by forming the Dragon Riders. Humans were later added to the pact, and the Riders helped Alagaesia enter a golden era.

"I will tell you of the downfall of the Riders when we gather for the annual telling of the tales," Brom said after he finished recounting the full glory of the Riders. "For now, is there anything else you want to know?"

"What about the dragons themselves?" Eragon said before anyone could stop him. "What were they like? Were they like the dragons from where Natsu and Wendy come from?"

"As far as I can tell, not very much," Brom replied. "The dragons from their world each seemed to be constrained to a certain type of magic, like fire and sky. The magic that the dragons granted humans and elves is far more versatile, though from what I've been told, their magic- while narrowed in its pathways- is possibly more powerful than the magic of this world."

"Heck yeah it is!" Natsu bragged.

"Shut up, boy," Garrow and Brom said simultaneously. "It's thanks to your big nose that we're all in this mess," Brom added. "And then you had to go and get Eragon involved in all of this, too."

"Huh?" Natsu said as he stared down at his nose. "My nose didn't grow, did it?" Brom and Garrow looked over at Wendy, who smiled weakly at them.

"Is he serious?" Garrow asked.

"I wish he wasn't…" Wendy sighed.

* * *

The rest of that day was a blur to Natsu and Wendy. Both of them had a torrent of thoughts whirling around their minds concerning the dragon egg, and the day passed by quickly because of it. Even Natsu's appetite had slowed, much to Wendy's concern.

"Natsu?" She asked. "Are you gonna be okay?"

"Yeah," he said quietly. "It's just… I was so excited to meet another dragon, but now it sounds like it's going to be in danger from when it's born. And I don't really even know anything about raising a dragon."

"You raised Happy pretty well," Wendy replied, trying to cheer him up. "That has to count for something, right?"

"Yeah, but a dragon and an exceed are two different kinds of creatures entirely," Natsu replied, still in thought. "I dunno how much help we'll be able to give Eragon with raising a baby dragon."

"Maybe Mister Brom could help him?" Wendy suggested. "I mean, he used to be a Rider, so why not?" Brom had amended the restrictions on Natsu's oath to include Wendy in the group of people that could discuss his identity, so long as she spoke of it to no one else, not even Eragon's family.

"The old fart doesn't wanna have any attention," Natsu grumbled.

"Oh!" Wendy said as the crowd gathered by the fire seemed to gather in closer. "It looks like Mister Brom is about to tell a story! C'mon, Natsu!" She grabbed him by the hand and started pulling him along, much to his chagrin. Although, Wendy did have to wonder how it was that she could not slow him down earlier that day, and now she had no trouble in pulling him along whatsoever.

* * *

 **Gray: Man, if that hothead keeps this up, the wrong people are gonna hear all about it!**

 **Erza: Agreed. It's time that we put and end to his eccentrics!**

 **Makarov: And just how are you kids going to pull that off, eh? You can't even get to Alagesia!**

 **Levvy: Maybe Freed and I can work out some kind of script magic to create an Anima spell?**

 **Gray: I'd be down for that, as long as it gives Gajeel something to do other than play that one song he knows...**

 **Gajeel: You got a problem with my music, Ice Boy?!**

 **Gray: For the last time, I'm NOT Ice Boy! I'm a damn Ice-Make Wizard!**

 **Gajeel: Ooh, scary! What, are you gonna-**

 **Gray: Ice-make AXE!**

 **Gajeel: Wha-?! No! My soul! That guitar had my soul in it! You broke my soul!**

 **Lucy: Mataras, stop turning my own spirits against me!**

 **Mataras: You asked for it. Leo, show hr who's the king of the jungle, would you?**

 **Leo: My pleasure, man.**

 **Mavis: _I like what Makarov has done with the guild! It's so lively in here!_**


	6. The Dragon

**A/N: Hello again, everybody! Hope I haven't kept you waiting too long, but it is time for a new chapter, and a new twist in the Inheritance Cycle!**

* * *

The Dragon

Several weeks passed before Natsu and Wendy heard from Eragon again. During that time, the two Dragon Slayers became more and more a part of Horst's household. Natsu was handy to have in the forge due to his massive strength and fire magic, much to the delight of the smith and his sons. Wendy helped Elaine keep the house cleaner that it had been in years.

And both of the kids were closer than ever, each one sharing stories after dinner in the privacy of their room about their parents and the good times that they'd had with their guild. Wendy knew that some of what Natsu said probably wasn't entirely accurate, at least when it came to Fairy Tail, but she didn't hold against him. She loved hearing stories about the rowdy crew that made up the top guild in Fiore.

Natsu was especially interested to hear about how different Grendina's teaching methods were from Igneel's. Apparently, the sky dragon was far gentler in her approach than her fiery brethren, who had a tendency to force Natsu to push himself until he collapsed. As they talked about their dragons, both of them had a common thought: _What kind of dragon is Eragon going to be raising?_

* * *

They got their answer when Roran showed up at Horst's door one morning, out of breath. "Roran, are you all right?!" Elaine asked with concern, but he waved her worries aside.

"I'm fine," he gasped. "Just a bit out of breath. Are Wendy and Natsu here?"

"Yes, Mister Roran," Wendy said as she walked up to the door. "Is everything okay?"

"I need you and Natsu to come with me," he insisted. "Eragon… Er… He needs help with a certain project in the forest." Wendy's eyes widened as she saw the message in Roran's already-wide eyes.

"Natsu!" she cried, running out back to the forge.

"Roran, what is going on?" Elaine asked, bewildered. "Is Eragon alright?"

"For the moment," his cousin said, exasperated. "Ask me again in a few days, and I won't be so sure." Before Elaine could ask what he meant by that, they both heard Natsu shouting at the top of his lungs, followed by the boy racing down the street, Wendy hanging on his back for dear life. "And _that_ is the cause for my uncertainty," Roran groaned as he went to chase after them.

Elaine could only watch after them in shock as Horst came up to the door. "Elaine, do you have any idea what just occurred here?"

"No more than you, dear," Elaine sighed. "I just hope that those kids don't get into any kind of trouble."

"Normally I'd scold Natsu for leaving the forge so early, but he's been working hard lately," Horst sighed. "Even if he's mostly got cotton in between those ears of his, he really is a good kid."

"Yes, so is Wendy…" Elaine sighed. "Maybe…"

"Maybe what, Elaine?" Horst asked his wife.

"Well…"

* * *

"How do you know where he even is?!" Roran called out after the two wizards.

"Dragon smell!" Wendy called back. "He can smell Eragon because he's met him before, and we both know what a dragon smells like!"

"Yeah, but there's something funny about this dragon's smell," Natsu said with a slight frown. "I can't put my finger on it, but I don't know why this dragon smells different than what I remember."

"Maybe that's because dragons from this world smell different, Natsu," Wendy giggled.

"Oh," the pink-haired boy muttered. "Right, I forgot about that." Wendy just laughed again at her friend. She looked back at Roran, who was obviously struggling to keep up.

"Mister Roran!" she called out. "Try this!" A glow emanated from her palm as she stretched out her hand and a similar glow enveloped Roran. Immediately, he increased his pace to match Natsu's.

"Amazing!" he said as he caught up. "I feel so much lighter now! How did you do that?"

"My magic is more to support others than it is to attack people," Wendy grinned. "Sky Dragon Slayer magic, believe it or not, specializes in healing others."

"Fascinating…" Roran said under his breath. "I had heard from Father and Eragon, but until I saw the dragon hatch, and your power just now… It's incredible. Thank you, Wendy."

"No problem!" she said cheerfully. She was about to say more, but Natsu came to an abrupt stop. "Natsu?" she asked when he stayed stiff and rigid as a statue. "Are you okay?"

Without a word, he pointed at a fallen tree to direct Wendy's line of sight. When she followed the path that his finger traced, she gasped in wonder. Sitting on the tree was Eragon with a smile on his face. And laying quietly on the wood next to him, was a sleeping sapphire blue dragon.

"Hey there," Wendy said softly as she slid off of Natsu's back. "What's your name?"

"I haven't been able to come up with any names yet," Eragon admitted. "I was hoping that you and I could go visit Brom soon to come up with a name for him- or her. I can't tell what the gender is."

"Um, Natsu?" Wendy giggled as she sniffed at the sleeping creature. "I think I figured out why this dragon smelled funny to you."

"Oh yeah?" he said as he strode closer. "What's up?"

"This is a girl dragon," Wendy laughed. "She must have smelled different to you because she's a little girl instead of a big boy dragon. But to me, she smells completely normal."

"Are you kiddin' me?!" Natsu shouted angrily. "That was it?! I was hopin' for something way more exciting like a new kind of dragon!"

"I find this all very exciting, personally," Roran chuckled. "Congratulations, Cousin."

"Thanks, Roran," Eragon sighed. "Now I just wish I knew how to take care of her."

"Well, you already know that it- she, rather- eats meat," Roran said with a shrug. "I think that you were on to something when you said that you should pay Old Brom a visit. He should know how to care for dragons properly, if anybody here does."

"Hey!" Natsu shouted indignantly. "We were raised by dragons! We know how to take care of 'em!" Wendy looked up at Natsu with confusion. Just a few weeks ago, he had admitted to being scared of raising a hatchling. Was his memory really that bad? Or was there something else happening now?

"You were raised by dragons from another world," Roran replied evenly. "I think it would be better if Eragon has at least _some_ knowledge about dragons from Alagaesia."

"Well, it's his dragon," Wendy said as she looked at Eragon. "What do you want to do?"

"Well…" Eragon hesitated. "I'd like to visit the old man… But he seemed a bit suspicious of us already, so maybe we had just better stick with what we already know, and the help that Natsu and Wendy can provide."

"Hmm…" Roran mused. "What if I go talk to the old man?"

Eragon shrugged. "If you think that you can hide the fact that your cousin is the newest Dragon Rider, be my guest," he grinned. "Just be careful with Brom- he's a sharp old man."

"Hah!" Roran laughed. "You're telling _me_ to be careful?!" Eragon flushed- it was well-known that of the two of them, Roran was by far more cautious than his cousin. Seeing his chagrin, Roran said, "We'll let the dust settle a little longer, then I can go talk to him, alright?"

"Fair enough," Eragon nodded. As if on cue, the little dragon yawned mightily, showing rows of sharp little teeth and a tongue lined with barbs before opening its lids to reveal clear blue eyes. It looked up at the new visitors, and they each sensed a new presence in their minds, one of great curiosity.

"Is that…?" Roran said he took a step back.

"That's telepathy magic, no doubt about it," Natsu said. "I just didn't know that any dragons could do that."

"Right now it feels more like she's trying to communicate with emotions since she's little," Wendy said as she stroked the little dragon's spine. The presence changed from curious to happy, and the others found themselves smiling without even knowing why. "See? We feel what she feels whenever she touches our mind like this."

"Did Grendina do that to talk?" Natsu asked.

"No, I'm just following my instincts," Wendy said with a sight shake of her head.

"So, she's intelligent?" Eragon asked curiously.

"If anything, she's smarted than you, pal," Natsu laughed. "Dragons are pretty smart! After all, Igneel taught me everything I know!"

"That is… not the most encouraging argument," Roran muttered dryly.

"No, he's right," Wendy nodded. "Dragons, at least in our world, are all intelligent beings. And this little girl seems to be no different than Grendina in terms of intelligence- their experiences are obviously pretty different, though."

"Ach, this is making my head hurt…" Eragon muttered. "Other worlds and other kinds of dragons… It's too much to handle. Maybe Uncle was right- the world is going mad."

"Madly awesome!" Natsu laughed. "Don't worry, man! As a promise from a Fairy Tail wizard, I'll make sure that your dragon stays safe!"

"Me too!" Wendy chirped. "Fairy Tail wizards always keep their promises- that's what makes us one of the top guilds in Fiore."

"One of the top?!" Natsu asked, panicked. "I thought we were all the way at the top! Did we get left behind when we left for Edolas?! AAAAH! We gotta get home! We gotta-!" Roran slammed a fist down on Natsu's head, stunning him.

"Sorry, but he was getting on my nerves," Roran muttered. The blue dragon squawked, and from it they sensed a feeling of amusement, and expectation. "Erm… What does she want now?"

"I think she wants you to hit him again," Wendy giggled. "She thinks his face is funny when he gets knocked down."

"HEY!" Natsu shouted as he got up swiftly. "It's not that fun-" Roran slammed a fist down on his head again, knocking him down.

"It actually makes me feel better, too," Roran admitted with a smile. Wendy eyed Roran with interest as she thought, _He must be pretty strong to be able to hit Natsu like that. From what I heard, only Gajeel and Master Makarov have been able to hit him that hard._ All the while, the little dragon continued to express its amusement as Roran and Natsu started to brawl in the forest.

* * *

The weeks passed by, and the little dragon quickly became a not-so-little dragon. Eragon, Roran, Natsu, and Wendy all spent as much time as they could with the dragon once their chores were done. This somewhat puzzled Elaine and Horst, but as long as they got their housework done and were home in time for supper, they didn't worry too much about it. Garrow never joined them in their visits, something that hurt Eragon, though he tried not to let it show.

One thing that began to worry Eragon and the Dragon Slayers was that they would often see the dragon blow smoke, especially if it was upset or excited. "I hope she isn't sick," Eragon said one evening. Yet she never once produced flames.

"Perhaps it's time I paid Brom that visit," Roran suggested. "Maybe he'll know why she isn't breathing fire."

"Hmm…" Eragon mused. "Natsu? What do you think is happening?"

"I dunno," he admitted as he buried his face in his scarf. "Igneel never had a problem breathin' fire, even when he was sick a couple times."

"Then I suppose we should ask Brom about this," Eragon sighed. "Do you want me to accompany you, Roran?"

"Hmm… I suppose it would be more believable if we both went together," Roran decided. "Brom might become even more suspicious if it were just me… After all, I've never really talked to him much, but he seems to like making time for you."

"True," Eragon nodded. "Very well. Natsu, do you mind staying a little longer and trying to show her how to breathe fire?"

"I can try, but I dunno how much I can tach her," he said with a shrug. "My Dragon Slayer magic doesn't work like this world's magic."

"Couldn't you try anyways?" Eragon pressed.

"Yeah, I'll try, but we should probably go home soon," Natsu said. "See ya later, guys."

"Good past noon," Eragon replied as he and Roran started walking off.

" _Eragon_." The single word echoed in the four human's heads and they all stopped in their tracks. Each one looked at the other, wondering what had just happened.

"Uh… What was that?" Wendy asked nervously.

" _Eragon_." The voice was deep, solemn, and unmistakably female. The four of them turned to look at the dragon, whose eyes were locked on her Rider's. " _Eragon_."

"Is she… talking to us?" Roran asked.

"I think so," Eragon replied. "Is that you?" He directed the question at the blue dragon, who lowered its head and then raised it back up as she sent a positive vibe to them.

"So she really can speak," Roran said in awe. "Amazing…"

"We'll be back soon," Eragon said as he rubbed her snout. "And maybe then I can have a proper name for you."

" _Eragon,"_ she replied.

* * *

 **Lucy: Aw! The baby dragon is so cute!**

 **Happy: Not as cute as Carla!**

 **Carla: Hush now, Happy. Don't be getting ahead of yourself.**

 **Lucy: I'm just glad everything finally calmed down...**

 **Gajeel: My baby... He broke my baby... My soul has died...**

 **Gray: Oh come on, you're still worked up over that stupid guitar? Let it go, man.**

 **Levy: Ugh... I'm gonna regret this, I can tell... But I can't stand to see Gajeel like this... It's sad, not to mention a little creepy... Pen Magic: Heal!**

 **Lucy: Ack! Levy, why?!**

 **Levy: Somebody has to be nice to the guy... Here, Gajeel. I fixed your guitar.**

 **Gajeel: Hunh? HUH?! Wha?-! My baby! HAHA, now I've got a fire in my belly!**

 **Gray: Oh come on! That line was lame when Natsu used it, and it's worse when you do it!**

 **Gajeel: Shooby doo- No, wait... I'm gettin' an itch for somethin' else... Hmm...**

 **Lucy: Oh great... What now...?**


	7. Natsu's Fury

**A/N: Now we get to really see just how much things will begin to change with the arrival of Fairy Tail in Alageasia. Enter the Ra'zac!**

* * *

Natsu's Fury

As the weeks continued to go by, Eragon's dragon continued to gain both mass and intelligence. She was now big enough so that when Eragon sat on her shoulders, his feet did not even fall down to her knees. She could now speak as well as any of them, and she could contact their minds from anywhere within three leagues.

She adored Eragon, and treated Roran with respect because he was, as she put it, his 'hatch-mate'. She also enjoyed spending time with Natsu and Wendy, as she said that they smelled like one of her own- likely a result of their time spent among dragon parents. Although she had been initially confused as to why they would call themselves 'Dragon Slayers", she became somewhat accustomed to the name, though she made it clear that they would not be slaying any dragons in Carvahall, thank you very much.

"Saphira," Wendy asked one day, "Do you know any kind of magic?"

" _No, little one,"_ the blue dragon said. _And as the old one from Eragon's memories say, I will not be able to breathe fire for some months to come."_ When Eragon and Roran had gone to visit Brom, they had managed to get a handful of names out of the trip for a female dragon. Out of all the ones they tried, the blue dragon only seemed to agree with the name Saphira.

"Man that, sucks," Natsu grumbled. "I wanted to try this world's dragon fire."

" _Be careful, Salamander, or you just might get your wish,"_ Saphira chortled. She had become quite fond of using Natsu's nickname from his homeland.

"Cocky lizard…" he muttered. He had been in a foul mood for the last few days, though he still treated Wendy with gentle kindness. "I'd knock some sense into ya, but it wouldn't last long enough to be fun."

Wendy looked at him with concern. Up until now, she had just hoped that he was feeling down about missing home, but more and more it seemed that something was heavy on his mind. "Natsu?" she asked. "Is something wrong?"

"I dunno…" he scowled, his nose burying itself in his scarf. "It's not really even my dragon sense, but lately I just keep getting' the feeling that something's wrong…"

"Maybe you just ate a bad fire?" Wendy suggested hopefully. Before Natsu could reply, they heard the sound of two men running to their little hideout area. From the scent, they could tell that it was Eragon and Roran, but something about them smelled… tainted.

"Natsu!" Eragon said as the two cousins burst into the small clearing that they used to meet Saphira in the afternoons. "You need to move, now!"

"What's wrong?" Natsu asked as he shot to his feet.

"There were…" Eragon shuddered and went on his hands and knees while Roran took up the story.

"We were in town for me to meet with a man about getting me a job in a town a few days away from here," he said. "I was going to take the job earlier this year, but I decided that it was more important to help care for Saphira. In any case, there were two strangers in town, both of them hooded and rather ominous-looking. They were carrying this large, black, sack around, but they never offered to make a trade on goods. They were asking questions not only regarding Saphira's egg- but about you two as well."

"Us?" Wendy paled. "What did we do?"

"I don't know," Roran shrugged. "But stay away from them. We were unfortunate enough to come close to them, and we suddenly felt as though we were slowly being drained of all our strength. They walked rather strangely, all hunched over and they spoke almost as though their mouths were deformed… We still don't feel right, and I fear that Eragon may have gotten the worse of whatever curse they put on us."

"Strange…" Wendy said as she placed her hands on Eragon's back. "This isn't magic, but it's definitely some kind of poison." Her hands glowed as she drove the toxic force from Eragon's body. "There, better?"

"Much," he said, looking a little stronger. He got to his feet with the help of Saphira's wing. "Thank you, Wendy. But Roran is right, you should find a place to hide. At least until they leave."

"Why?" Natsu scoffed. "They don't know where we are."

"Yeah, but Sloan told them that you're staying at Horst's," Eragon growled angrily. "So now they know where you live."

"That bastard," Natsu cursed, his fist flaming. "If these weirdo's hurt Horst or his family, I'll give them a Fairy Tail send-off that they'll never forget."

"Calm down, Natsu," Wendy said nervously as she moved to heal Roran. "We don't need to go stirring up trouble where there doesn't need to be any."

"Rrrrgh…" Natsu growled audibly. "I'm tired a just waitin' for somthin' to happen. I'm gonna go see what's going on for myself." And he walked off, ignoring Wendy's pleas to remain sensible about the whole thing.

"Natsu, please," Roran said as Eragon moved to speak with Saphira. "They were bearing the crest of the king on their cloaks- acting out against them might endanger the whole village. And they haven't done anything bad as of yet. We just wanted to let you know that they were here and that danger is possible."

"Yeah well for all we know, they've burned down half your village by now," Natsu said as he walked on. "I'm not playin' it slow and safe when the lives of Horst's family are at stake."

"But-"

"Let him go," Wendy said as Natsu stalked off. "He'll be fine. If I know one thing about Natsu, it's that he's tough. After all, he was raised by a dragon."

" _And a finer guardian he could not ask for,"_ Saphira said smugly. _"Still… The memories of those strangers seem familiar somehow… I cannot guess at why exactly, but I feel a deep dread at the thought of them…"_ Her tail suddenly slammed down hard on the ground.

* * *

Natsu was halfway to Carvahall when he met them. They were just as Eragon and Roran had described them, and his dragon sense of smell found their breath absolutely revolting. "Geez, do you kiss your mother with those?" He said as he buried his nose in his scarf. "That's just nasty."

"Ssso…" The shorter of the two hissed. "The information wasss correct after all."

"Whaddya swamp-breathers want?" Natsu asked sharply, already low on patience. "Start talkin', or I'll start whalin."

"If you have any brainssss at all, you'll sssstand down and play niccce," the larger one said in return. "You might get sssomebody you care about hurt."

"If you touch any of my friends, I'll show you the power of a real Fairy Tail wizard!" Natsu shouted, his hands spread wide. "Start talkin! Why're ya here?!"

"To take you to meet the king, of course," one of them said. "We, the Ra'zac, are looking for a boy named Eragon and a precious blue ssstone.. Have you seen them…? If you haven't, we might have to… persssuade you otherwise." And he pulled out a long knife, as did his companion.

"All right, I've been waiting for this!" Natsu grinned fiercely as fire erupted from his hands and arms. "Get ready for a serious beat down, 'cause I've got a fire in my belly now!"

The bigger one hissed and threw down the sack on the ground before pointing his knife near the top of it. "If you are wisssse, you will stay your magic and see what we have in here," he hissed. "Unless you want to be resssponsible for the life of sssuch a young an… exotic ssspecimen."

Something in the way that the sack had fallen and the tone that the Ra'zac was using stayed even Natsu's hand. "What's in the bag?" he asked as his flames died away.

"That'sss better," the smaller Ra'zac chuckled. "Curiousss, are you? Very well… Come clossser and sssee, boy." And they chuckled darkly to themselves as the larger of the two went to undo the top of the bag.

Natsu kept his guard up, ready for any kind of surprise attack that they might try to pull. But when they pulled the contents of the bag out, even his fiery blood froze. White hair. Pale skin. The mark of Fairy Tail on her thigh.

There, lying in the snow, was Lisanna. She was covered in cuts and bruises, none of which had been bandaged, and she was unconscious, possibly even close to death. The only indication that she was alive was the steam that resulted from her shallow breaths in the cold afternoon air. The sight filled Natsu with such utter fury that he couldn't even speak.

Not so long ago, he had thought that his childhood friend had been returned to life, only to learn that she was not the same Lisanna that he had once known. He had tied to ignore the pain that it caused him by focusing on the mission in Edolas. But now, all of that pain seemed to return, though in a different form.

He didn't know how they had gotten ahold of this Lisanna, but he didn't care. She was a member of Fairy Tail. And that meant… "You just made the biggest mistake of your life," he growled, his eyes narrowing harshly.

"Not one move," the smaller one hissed. "Or your pretty little friend losesss her head." They moved the blade closer to Lisanna to emphasize their point.

Things suddenly took on a whole new dynamic when Wendy came running up the road, shouting, "Natsu! Saphira just went crazy and kidnapped-" Her voice caught in her throat as the Ra'zac turned sharply to look at her with interest- a big mistake on their part.

" _Fire dragon IRON FIST_!" Natsu roared as he moved with blinding speed to bash the larger Ra'zac with his magic so had that it went flying up the road, back towards Carvahall. The other Ra'zac didn't even have time to react to his crushing talon technique, sending it flying after its companion.

Natsu interposed himself between Lisanna and the Ra'zac, who got to their feet unsteadily. Then: " _Fire dragon ROAR!"_ Fire flooded from his mouth, bathing the Ra'zac in the heat of his magic. When the flames died, the Ra'zac's clothes were smoldering, but not completely burnt off.

"You have a grave missstake," the shorter one hissed as it drew a sword. It's companion did likewise, taking a fighting stance.

" _You made the biggest mistake of your life when you hurt a member of Fairy Tail_!" Natsu roared in return.

"Hmph," one of them said as it reached into its robe and pulled out a small satchel, which it then threw at Natsu. "Submit," it whispered. And explosion rocked the earth, causing Wendy to trip as she made her way over to Lisanna.

She didn't know Lisanna, nor had she ever heard of her before. But she saw that she had the mark of Fairy Tail on her, and more importantly, that she was hurt. She needed to heal her before she suffered any more at the hands of the Ra'zac. But now it seemed that she might have been too late as the explosion engulfed her and Natsu together.

Then the flames began to draw inward on themselves, and a loud slurping noise could be heard, so Wendy kept going. Natsu swallowed the last of the heat and grimaced. "I dunno what ya put in that fire, but that was the nastiest fire I've ever eaten. But I guess I should thank you- now I've got a real fire in my belly."

Now the Ra'zac seemed temporarily taken aback. "What isss this?" One of them asked as it took an uncertain step backwards. "Not human, perhapsss…"

"I'm a Fire Dragon Slayer," Natsu said as he let the fire build up inside him again. "And you're about to learn the consequences of messing with Fairy Tail! _Fire dragon SWORD HORN_!" And he head-butted the closest one with startling speed once again.

"Natsu! Wendy!" Roran shouted as he came up over a hill. "What is going on?!" He stopped in his tracks as he watched Natsu trading blows with the Ra'zac.

"Roran!" Wendy called as she waved him over. "Help me! We need to get her away from here, fast!"

"Who is she?" Roran asked as he ran over and picked up the white-haired girl.

"I don't really know," she said as she and Roran began to run back the way that they had come. "I saw her in Edolas, but I have no idea how she came here!"

"Perhaps she was from your world?" Roran grunted.

"I don't know," Wendy said. "But we don't have time to figure this out right now. I need a safe place so I can heal her."

"Can you heal so many wounds?" Roran asked, aware of the blood seeping into his clothes. "This looks rather serious."

"I once healed a friend that had been infected with Venom Dragon Slayer magic without any problems, so I think I can."

"Let us hope," Roran muttered. "It's a miracle that she hasn't already given in to such abuse. Many people could not last for so long."

"Fairy Tail wizards are tough, no matter what world we come from," Wendy grinned.

* * *

They managed to make their way back to the farm, where Garrow was relaxing out front on the porch, a rare thing for him. He frowned as he saw his son and Wendy come running towards his house, carrying another young woman that he had not seen before. "What's this?" he muttered to himself

Then he saw the wounds on the young woman, and his eyes widened. "Roran!" he called out. "What's going on?"

"Sorry, Father," Roran said breathlessly. "I don't have much time to explain things right now, but this woman needs our help."

"We can't afford much," Garrow said warningly. "Why couldn't you have taken her up to Carvahall, to Gertrude?"

"Carvahall isn't safe right now," Roran said as he laid Lisanna down on the porch. "The ones that did this to her are in between us and the village. Natsu is currently fighting them, and Saphira took Eragon off to who knows where."

"The dragon kidnapped Eragon?" Garrow asked, his eyes wide.

"That's the least of our concerns right now," Roran countered. "The people that hurt this young woman have been able to withstand Natsu's fire magic with unbelievable resiliency."

"Are they wizards, too?" Garrow asked, his eyes narrowing. Wendy knelt beside Lisanna and began focusing her healing magic on the wounded young woman.

"I do not know," Roran said with a shake of his head. "But they called themselves the Ra'zac. I don't know if they are some kind of special sorcerers, but they bear the symbol of the king on their cloaks."

"This is why interacting with magic was a bad idea," Garrow scowled heavily. "It only brings about misfortune and despair."

"Father, not all magic is evil!" Roran said stubbornly. "Look at what it can do for those that are suffering!" he pointed as Lisanna, whose wounds were beginning to seal. "It can help those that are pain, and bring them together, like it has with Saphira and Eragon."

Before Garrow could utter a retort, Lisanna began to groan and stir. Wendy said in a soothing voice, to calm her, "Shhh… It's okay, you're safe now."

"No…" she groaned, trying to get up. "Natsu… Have to help Natsu…"

"Natsu can handle himself," Wendy grinned tiredly. The magic was starting to wear her out from such a heavy task. "He's fighting those guys right now."

"Rest easy, miss," Roran said firmly as he knelt beside the girl. "Tell us, what is your name?"

"Lisanna…" She managed to fully open her startlingly blue eyes. "Oh… Where am I?"

"You're not in Edolas anymore, if that's what you mean," Wendy replied as the glow of her magic faded. "But I don't understand how you could have been pulled out of Edolas since you're from there."

"I'm… not from Edolas," she admitted. "The anima that Prince Jellal used was about to send me home, right behind you guys. Then I fell through some kind of gate made of green fire, and I woke up in a forest a few days ago. Unfortunately, those beak-nosed freaks caught me before I could really understand what was going on."

"Beak-nosed?" Roran asked with a frown. "What does that mean?"

"You mean you didn't see?" Lisanna asked groggily. "The Ra'zac aren't human."

"Wait… Then what exactly is Natsu fighting right now?"

* * *

 **Lucy: HEY! I thought that Wendy and Natsu were the only ones that were gonna be in this story from Fairy Tail! What's the big idea, Mataras?!**

 **Mataras: Jealous much? And technically, she's from the Edolas Fairy Tail- it doesn't count in my book.**

 **Lucy: That's quite the technicality! You're cheating!**

 **Mataras: Tell me that again when I care.**

 **Gray: that's pretty cold, man.**

 **Mataras: Says you, of all people.**

 **Erza: You sir, are a devious scoundrel.**

 **Mataras: ... I've had enough of this. Juvia! Erza and Lucy are making a move on Gray!**

 **Juvia: They dare...? And just when I thought we could be friends...**

 **Lucy: Mataras... Make her stop... P-please?**

 **Mataras: Hey Gajeel, can you get some popcorn ready? This is gonna be fun to watch.**

 **Gajeel: Not now, I'm workin'!**

 **Mataras: Blast. What about- Oh, hi Mavis. Care to join me in spectating?**

 **Mavis: Of course! This is more fun than I've had in years!**


	8. Injuries

**A/N: Greetings, comrades. I bring you together again for the next part of Natsu Dragneel's venture into the world of Alagaesia. Please be sure to leave your thoughts in the review section whether you are a familiar reader or a new one. All thoughts are welcome here.**

* * *

Injuries

" _Fire Dragon CLAW_!" Natsu smashed his foot into the larger Ra'zac, sending it flying back several feet. The boy panted heavily as he stared down the two monsters- for indeed, they were monsters. Parts of their cloaks had been burned away to reveal black exoskeletons and some kind of beak under the cowl, though they managed to keep most of their appearances still under wraps.

That wasn't what frustrated Natsu, though. It was the fact that despite everything he had thrown at them, the two creatures had yet to be seriously injured. _Guess I only got one option now,_ he thought as he spread his arm wide. _I gotta put every last bit of my power into this._

The Ra'zac rushed at him, shrieking angrily, also sounding angry. Natsu spun his arms in a wide arc as he roared, " _Fire Dragon Sacred Art: Crimson Lotus Form!"_ Just before the blades could cut into him, he screamed, " _EXPLODING FLAME BLADE_!" Twin tendrils of fire shot out and struck the Ra'zac, exploding upon contact and causing steam to rise all around them, obscuring each other from view. Natsu smelled flesh burning and grinned.

The smile vanished as a sword stabbed into his gut, causing him cough up blood as one of the Ra'zac glared at him, smoking and battered. "That wasss foolish, boy," it hissed. "Before you ssserve, you shall sssuffer." The steam had not mostly cleared to reveal that both Ra'zac, while obviously wounded, were most certainly not crippled in any way.

The Ra'zac jerked out its sword, and Natsu fell to the ground, on the brink of passing out. "You… bastards…" he growled.

"Natsu!" a gruff voice called out. The boy was vaguely aware of Brom running towards him, a wine red blade in hand. The Ra'zac seemed surprised and disturbed by his appearance, for they backed away from the boy, chattering in lowered tones to one another. "Leave, Ra'zac," the old man growled. "Before you get hurt."

"If the boy could not kill us, what makesss you think you can?" the bigger one challenged, though it still seemed uncertain. "You are far passst your fighting yearsss, old one."

"Perhaps, but with age comes experience," Brom shot back. "Now will you leave peacefully, or do you wish to challenge the Bane of the Forsworn?" Now the Ra'zac truly seemed frightened, backing away and clicking furiously.

But at last, they said, "We will leave for now. But when we return… You can be certain that it will not end well for you and yoursss." Then they turned cloak and fled, soon disappearing into the falling snow.

Brom sheathed his sword and picked Natsu up, showing a strength that belied his old face. "Come along, you idiot," he grumbled. "Let's get you to Gertrude." But Natsu didn't hear him. He was already out cold.

* * *

The boy shot up in bed, confused and disoriented. "Man…" he groaned. "What kind of drink did Cana mix up with mine last ni- huh?!" He blinked several times at the old woman that was staring at him with a slight grin.

"Sweet dreams, boy?" she chuckled.

"Gah?!" he cried. "Where am I?!"

"You're safe in Carvahall, boy," she answered. "I'm amazed at your ability to recover from such a wound. Many would have died from less."

"Eh, I've had worse," Natsu muttered. "Where is everyone?"

"Waiting at Horst's home across the street," the old woman replied. "I don't know if you remember or not, but I am Gertrude, the village's healer. I believe we've met in passing?"

Natsu quickly shot to his feet as he remembered- "Where's Lisanna?" he asked suddenly. "Is she okay?"

"The white-haired girl?" Gertrude replied, slightly disgruntled at Natsu's rude behavior. "She's been quite the nuisance, I say. She kept trying to sneak in to see you, even though I told them that no one should come in until you'd at least woken up."

"I gotta see her," he said as he headed for the door.

"Er, boy?" Gertrude coughed. "Perhaps some clothes first?"

Natsu looked down to realize that he was just in his underwear, and he immediately threw a fit. "Aw come on!" he shouted. " _Gray, if this is payback, you're gonna get a real sunburn when I'm done with you!"_

* * *

When Natsu had finally calmed down, Gertrude escorted him over to Horst's home, where he was greeted with warm concern. "You had us all worried there, boy," Horst said as he clapped Natsu on the shoulder in a manner that reminded the boy of Gildarts.

"Natsu!" Wendy exclaimed happily as she came down the stairs. "You've been out for a whole day! Are you feeling okay?" She hugged the boy, careful not to squeeze too hard on his abdomen.

"I'm hungry," Natsu admitted with a grin. "Got anything to eat?" They all laughed together, and Elaine went to go get a roast from the oven.

"I think I'll be taking my leave now," Gertrude said with a small smile. "Good day, everyone." But before she could leave, a small voice stopped her.

"Grendina?" Wendy gasped. "Is that you?"

"No, my name is Gertrude, child," the healer smiled. Then she tilted her head at Wendy and said, "Child? Are you all right?"

"Wendy?" Natsu asked as the girl began to cry. "What's the matter?"

"She… She… She sounds…" the girl hiccupped. "She sounds… like my mother… and her scent… It's the same."

"Wait…" Gertrude said as she looked down at Wendy more closely. "What did you call me again?"

"Grendina was her mom's name," Natsu answered. "Why?"

The old woman paled and said, "Pardon me for a moment- I'll be right back." And she rushed out the door, leaving behind a set of bewildered people. Horst told Baldor to go make sure that Gertrude was all right, so Horst's younger son immediately rushed out the door to follow her.

Natsu stayed sitting beside Wendy, who had sunk down to the ground, still crying. As he rubbed her back, he looked up at Albreich and asked, "Where's Lisanna?"

"The white-haired lass?" the blond boy replied. "Finally sleeping. She wouldn't go to sleep because she wanted to know how you were doing the whole time."

"But how did she get here…?" he muttered as he buried his nose in his scarf.

"Natsu, I know that this may not be the best time, but we need to know what happened to you out there," Horst finally said after a quiet moment. "Who did this to you? All we know is that Brom dragged you into Gertrude's home with a stab wound. He refused to talk about what happened, saying only that those strangers wouldn't be back any time soon."

"I dunno, really," Natsu answered, still in thought. "All I know is that they hurt Lissana, and they needed a good pounding. But now I have a score to settle with those guys, or else Fairy Tail's name is sullied- and I won't stand for it." His teeth bared as he reflected how he had been defeated by the two monsters.

Before any flames could erupt, though, Gertrude came back in, holding a small book. "Wendy, was it?" she asked the little girl, who was finally starting to calm down.

"Y-yeah," she sniffled.

"This is for you, from your mother," the old woman said as she handed Wendy the little book. "One night, years ago, I had a dream where a dragon calling herself Grendina appeared before me. At first I was terrified- the dream simply seemed so real, but when she began to speak to me in a voice that was identical to my own, I began to believe that it was only a dream brought on by my own imagination.

"In the dream, she told me that if I were to ever meet a young girl named Wendy with blue hair, I was to give her a book that she would have me write. In it are spells that she never got to teach you, or so the dream said. When I awoke, the images stayed so strongly in my mind that I felt compelled to write down what had been told to me, even though I didn't understand it all. Now I see that your mother must have spoken to me through my dreams with magic."

"M-mother…?" Wendy gasped as she held the little book. She looked back up at Gertrude, her eyes wide. "Did… she say anything else?"

"Not than I can recall, child," the old woman said with a shake of her head. "As I said, it has been years, and to be honest, had I not written down those words, I may well have forgotten the dream altogether."

"Thank you… so much…" Wendy said as she moved to hug the old woman, much to her surprise. Gertrude had no children of her own, but she knew that this child was hurting, and so she hugged her back and patted her back soothingly.

"Is everything alright?" said a sleepy-yet-familiar voice. Natsu turned to look up at a slender girl walking down the stairs, rubbing sleep from her eyes. Then she opened them fully and locked onto Natsu's own brown orbs. She froze in place, as did he.

Looking around at everything happening, Horst said, "Boys it may be best of we give these folks some privacy." The three men left, each one confused, but hoping that things would be resolved sooner rather than later.

"Lisanna?" Natsu asked quietly. "How did you-?"

" _Natsu_!" she cried as she dashed down the stairs and threw her arms around the boy and crashed on top of him. "I missed you…"

"What the-?" he groaned hoarsely. "That hurt…"

"Oh, sorry!" she laughed a she sat up a bit, crying and smiling at the same time.

"What's… going on…?" he groaned as he got onto his elbows and looked up at the girl. "How did you… get here? Why aren't you in Edolas?"

"She's not from Edolas, Natsu," Wendy said as she pulled away slightly from Gertrude. "She's your Lisanna."

"My Lisanna…?" he said as he looked back up into her blue eyes.

"Wendy, perhaps we should also go," Gertrude said as she led Wendy to another room. "I want to know more about your mother…"

Natsu heard all of this, but it didn't click. The only thing he could see was his childhood friend above him, a roaring mix of emotions swirling around in his heart. "Why didn't you tell us when we first got there?" he finally demanded. "Why did you let us… Let _me…_ think that you were dead?" He wasn't exactly angry, but he was pretty close to it.

"I…" Lisanna's eyes brimmed with tears again. "I wanted to tell you… But I couldn't… I thought that it would be best… if I just stayed dead to you… but…" In between her tears, she told him everything. She told him that on the day that she had 'died', a small anima had pulled her into Edolas, where that world's Lisanna had died tragically after plummeting off a cliff. The people there had thought that she was their Lisanna having miraculously survived the deadly fall, and she couldn't bring herself to tell them what was really going on, especially the parallel Elfman and Mira.

So she stayed and tried to fit in, and actually succeeded in doing so. If people questioned the gaps in her memory, she would blame it on her 'fall', and people bought it. And so she lived in that manner for two years, until the Earthlanders came to Edolas and surprised her. She had planned on staying behind even when the others went home, because she knew that leaving would only break her parallel siblings heart's all over again.

However, the reverse anima changed that. When she too began being forced out of Edolas due to her inner magic power, the Edolas versions of Mira and Elfman revealed that they had known who she really was all along. They told her to go home, so that she could stop the suffering that he home family had been enduring for so long. So with reluctance, she had accepted that she would have to go home.

But like Natsu and Wendy, she had passed into the portal magic that interrupted their trip home, only seconds after they entered Alagaesia. But when she compared storied with Wendy, it seemed that a few seconds in between the worlds had meant that she arrived several weeks after Natsu and Wendy did, as time must have flowed differently between the two spaces.

When she was finally finished talking, Natsu blinked and said, "So… you've been alive all this time? You've been okay?"

"Yeah," she nodded. "I understand if you're angry with me for lying to you, but-" She stopped talking as Natsu pulled her in close to him for a hug. "Natsu…?"

"I'm not mad at all," he smiled with closed eyes. "I'm really happy. I'm glad that you're back, Lisanna." The girl buried her face in his shoulder and sobbed, her tears soaking into his shirt as she hugged him back fiercely. It seemed like a dream come true- she was finally with Natsu again. _If only Happy was here to see this,_ the boy thought to himself.

* * *

When all the tears had finally stopped, Natsu asked that he, Lisanna, and Wendy talk in private. When they were all gathered in his and Wendy's room, he asked Wendy what had happened while he was out.

"Well, for starters, Eragon managed to get Saphira to calm down," she began. "His legs were cut up really badly from riding her without a saddle, so I had to heal him, but he's still resting last I heard. Mister Garrow was pretty angry with Saphira for hurting Eragon like that. Fortunately, Roran managed to get everyone to calm down before Saphira started breaking things- I think she got that from you, Natsu."

"Hey!" he objected, annoyed. "You sound like that reporter from Sorcerer Weekly!"

"Sorry Natsu, but she does have a point," Lisanna giggled. "You do break a lot of things from time to time."

"Not you too!" he shouted. "Where's Gray when I need him?!"

"Why do you want Gray here?" Wendy asked.

"Cos I need to hit something!"

Wendy and Lisanna sighed in unison. "I see he hasn't changed a bit…" Lisanna grinned with a bit of exasperation.

"He was always like this?" Wendy asked fearfully.

"Yup- right from the moment I met him," Lisanna giggled. "Hey, so what are supposed to do now? I mean, from what I can tell, Natsu beat up some of the king's men, right?"

"Oh, yeah, those guys," Natsu suddenly stopped yelling. "I need to find 'em again- I owe them some hurt."

"How're you gonna do that?" Wendy asked. "You lost to them once, and now you wanna challenge them again?"

"Of course," Natsu grinned ferally. "Cos I'm a proud member of Fairy Tail- we never lose to the same guys twice, right Lisanna?"

"Yeah, that's true," Lisanna nodded. "But what about everyone here? Won't the king get really mad at them?"

"Maybe we should leave so we don't call any more attention to ourselves," Wendy suggested. "I mean, it seems like Horst and everyone wanna know more about us and where we really come from. And the more they know, the worse off they'll be, especially if the king's men come back to question them again. If they don't know any more about us then they'll be safer, right guys?"

" _A wise deduction,"_ Brom's voice said in their heads. Lisanna seemed startled, but Natsu and Wendy weren't surprised at this point. _"I'm going to chase after the Ra'zac with Eragon and Saphira. If you want to have the best chance at taking those monsters down, you'll come with us and you won't tell anyone that you're leaving."_

"No way, man!" Natsu said sharply. "I'm gonna take those guys down without your help! This Fairy Tail business, so you should just butt out!"

" _Oh?"_ Brom scoffed. _"And how are you going to do that when you have no way of tracking them? Even your sense of smell won't be able to track them with the speed that they move at. The trail will be gone before you can close the distance on them, and you don't even know the first thing about this land outside of Carvahall. Face it Dragon Slayer- you need my help if you want your revenge for what they did to your friend."_

Natsu's face showed his anger as his eyes narrowed and his teeth were bared angrily. But even he could tell that Brom was right- they couldn't do this alone. "All right you old windbag," he growled. "I guess you figured out that Eragon's a rider, huh? Tell us what you wanna do."

" _That wasn't hard to figure out,"_ Brom scoffed. _"I will explain in greater detail later, but I still do not want Eragon to know that I was once a Rider as well- the boy can only handle so much right now, so your oath still holds. As for what to do, meet us behind Morn's Tavern- and by the lost kings, do it quietly!"_

* * *

"Father!" Roran called as he rushed up to the house. "Where are Eragon, Wendy, and Natsu? I need to talk to them!"

"I was about to ask you the same thing," Garrow said as he came outside. "I thought that Eragon was still resting inside, but when I looked in his room, he was gone along with his hunting equipment."

"Hunting equipment?" Roran repeated. "Oh no…"

"What is it, boy?" Garrow demanded.

"I think Eragon is going after those strangers," Roran groaned. "That thrice-damned idiot…"

"Where are they going? Do you know?"

"Not a clue," Roran sighed. "All I know is that Eragon seemed angry that he had missed out on the chance to help Natsu against the strangers- those Ra'zac. And this is really a bad time for them to have run off."

"Why would any time be worse than another?" Garrow scowled.

"Because…" Roran said as he clenched his right fist. "When I was angry, I hit a tree- and then this happened." His fist flashed with light and transformed into a club of metal. "The tree shattered to pieces."

Garrow's jaw dropped at the sight of his son's limb becoming living metal. "What kind of curse is this?" he gasped.

"I do not know if this is a curse or not, but I get the feeling that Natsu and Wendy may have inadvertently brought it about," Roran said as he relaxed his fist, transforming it back into flesh and blood. "And I have a feeling that before long, other surprises may be on their way."

* * *

The group was deep in the forest by nightfall, with a campfire all set up, and Wendy tending to the boy's wounds as much as her magic would allow. "So what now?" she asked.

"As soon as those two are all patched up, we're heading after the Ra'zac," Brom answered. "They saw me in broad daylight and recognized me, something I had hoped to avoid. Now they'll be on their way to tell the king all about it, and if he knows I'm alive, not all the magic the dragon slayers possess would be able to save you or I."

"How strong is this king of yours?" Lisanna asked curiously. Back in Edolas, King Faust had retained much of the world's magic power, which was in limited supply, making him far stronger than his subjects. From what she had heard so far, it sounded like things in Alagaesia were similar in the sense that the king ruled through his magic.

"I don't know," Brom answered.

"What do you mean you don't know?" Eragon demanded sharply. "And how do you even know what you know in the first place?"

"I don't know because I don't know how the king increases his power in the first place," Brom answered in an equally biting tone. "And as for how I know what I do, _that_ I will keep to myself, boy. You've not earned the right to ask questions of me, forget the answers to them."

"No right?!" Eragon shot back. "I'm leaving behind everything I've ever known to become a Rider like those that went before me! How dare you say I have no right?!"

" _Shut up!_ " Natsu shouted, his voice echoing through the forest, and instantly silencing the others. They all looked at him, fully expecting him to fly into a rage. "I'm tryin' to sleep," he muttered as he rolled over and began snoring.

"Is he serious…?" Brom asked.

"I wish not, but that's Natsu for you," Lisanna grinned sheepishly as she brushed a stray lock of hair from his face. "You can always bet that he's gonna be sleeping, eating or fighting."

"I can't believe I thought this was going to be a good idea," Brom grumbled.

* * *

 **Lucy: What the-?! Did you seriously just give Roran dragon slayer magic?!**

 **Mataras: Absolutely.**

 **Elfman: Now he's a real man!**

 **Makarov: I think I know how you pulled that off, but I get the feeling that some of our readers will be confused by this.**

 **Mataras: They'll just have to wait a while to see how that little trick works, then. I don't hand out spoilers.**

 **Lucy: They're not the only ones that are gonna be confused! How'd you do that?!**

 **Mataras: No spoilers.**

 **Gajeel: Hey! Why'd ya give him my bag of tricks?!**

 **Mataras: His name goes on to become Roran Stronghammer... If I was going to give him any magic, I should think that Iron Dragon Slayer magic would be most appropriate.**

 **Gajeel: No way! There's only allowed to be one Iron Dragon Slayer- _me_!**

 **Mataras: I could give Garrow magic and get away with it, _because I'm the writer_! Still, for the sake of restraint and logic, I won't be doing that.**

 **Makarov: Since when does logic and restraint go along with these kids?**

 **Mataras: While you have a fair point, I'm running out of script here, so I think it's time to bid the readers good-bye. I'll think of something to say back later- I am running on very little sleep right now, so I think I've earned a nap. Farewell!**


	9. Presents and Bruises

**A/N: Hey guys it has been far too long, hasn't it? Well, I am sorry for keeping you waiting, but now I'm back and I'm sure you just want to read, eh? So get to it! Get all fired up!**

* * *

Presents and Bruises

The next morning, Natsu woke up warmer than he'd expected to. And when he tried to move, something on either side of him was keeping him from doing so. Cracking his eyes open, he blinked not sure that he was seeing things right. If there was so much snow next to him, how could he be so warm? His fire magic kept him warm in most conditions, but with this much white…

His eyes flew open all the way as he realized that it was not a pile of snow beside his face, but a head topped with shock-white hair. Lisanna's breathing was deep and even as she buried her face further into Natsu's shoulder, causing his own to blaze redder than Erza's hair. Lisanna was partially lying on top of him. He was about to throw her off and start shouting crazily as was his typical wont, but something stayed him. She looked so content and at ease, he couldn't bring himself to just throw her off.

She had been through hell with the tortures the Ra'zac had put her through, not to mention the previous two years couldn't have been easy, despite her explanation of things. If she was happy right where she was, he wouldn't move her- not yet anyways.

Looking over on his other side, he noticed that Wendy had also curled up beside him, though she wasn't actually on him in any way. That explained why they were all still warm- they had all shared body heat throughout the night. Natsu briefly wondered why Wendy being so close didn't bother him the way that Lisanna did. Was it because she was a little girl, and Lisanna was…?

He shook his head and got to his feet, careful not to wake the two girls. He didn't know what Lisanna was to him beyond a close childhood friend. Sure, they had played 'house' as little children, but didn't every kid do that at some point in their lives? Looking back at his sleeping companion, his gaze softened. _She really is pretty…_

"Good morning, boy," Brom said from right behind Natsu. This startled him badly, causing him to whirl around with a flaming fist. Fortunately, Brom sensed the blow coming before it could hit, so he ducked down and shot back up to grab his arm with a strength and speed that betrayed his age.

"Don't go sneaking up on people like that!" Natsu shouted angrily. "That's rude!" He seemed to be forgetting all the times that he had snuck into Lucy's apartment.

"I suppose stealth would be beyond your range of abilities, despite the raw amount of magic you carry," Brom muttered as he moved to set up a fire. He and Eragon had stolen a generous amount of meat from Sloan, as well as some leather hides from a man whose name escaped Natsu at the moment- and likely for a long time as well.

Once the sticks were arranged properly, Brom looked up at Natsu and said, "What are you waiting for? This is usually where you start lighting things on fire."

"So I'm a pyro-breathin' meathead, is that it?!" Natsu shouted. At this point, the others were beginning to stir, with Eragon being the first to speak.

"Y'know…" he mumbled. "I picked this place to hide ourselves in, not to call attention to ourselves, Natsu…" He shook his head and yawned mightily as he stretched. Saphira did the same, save that she had wings to spread that reached well over the heads of the campers.

"Yeah well it's not helpful that this old guy keeps picking on me!" Natsu continued ranting at no one in particular.

"Calm down, Natsu," Wendy groaned. "Isn't it a little too early for this?"

"Just let him run with it for a bit," Lisanna grinned as she rubbed sleep from her eyes. "He'll calm down again at some point."

"Yeah, but usually Happy is the one that calms him down," Wendy sighed. "That or Lucy kicks him in the face and he chills out."

"Wow, Lucy from Earthland is just as tough as the one in Edolas?" Lisanna asked.

"In her own way, I guess so," Wendy nodded.

* * *

Natsu finally stopped when Saphira hit him in the head with her tail, stunning him and leaving a large bruise on his forehead. He lay on the ground with his foot and right hand twitching randomly, and his mouth open wide in shock. When the others looked at her critically, she sniffed, _"He woke me up early- a poor decision on his behalf."_ Nobody really knew how to argue with her, so they let it drop.

Breakfast was followed by Brom presenting some gifts to Eragon while Lisanna, Natsu, and Wendy practiced their magics. Lisanna helped Wendy to read through some of the old script that Gertrude had passed on to her from Grendina while Natsu punched some trees and performed acrobatic exercises.

Eragon received a fine red blade- the one that Natsu had seen Brom threaten the Ra'zac with only a few days prior. The name of the sword was Za'roc, and it had once belonged to a rider whose name Brom refused to reveal. He explained that normally a rider's blade would match his or her dragon's color, but in this case, they would have to make an exception, as no sword in existence could replace the resilience of Za'roc, save for the king's own blade.

Next, he used all of the leather that they had taken to fashion a saddle for Saphira. Eragon was extremely grateful for this, as his first experience in riding his dragon had ended with half of his skin being scraped clean off of his legs. While he worked, Brom explained what he knew of the dragons physically, as he had already covered their history with the young man some time ago. When Brom mentioned that he should try the new saddle, Eragon declined with a bit of apprehension, which slightly affronted Saphira.

It was eventually decided that they would buy horses at the next town that they came across so that they could catch up to the Ra'zac with greater speed. Eragon mentioned that he could ride ahead with Saphira once his legs were completely healed, but this point was nullified when Brom pointed out that Eragon was ill-equipped to deal with the Ra'zac. Natsu looked sullen when Brom reminded the young man about what had happened to the dragon slayer. So Eragon reluctantly agreed to stay behind with them.

* * *

When the evening was upon them, they all once again sat by the campfire while they waited for dinner to cook. Brom was whittling at some sticks for some unknown reason while the others talked quietly among themselves. So it was unexpected when Brom began tossing sticks at each of them, which they all barely managed to catch in time.

"Uh…?" Natsu said as he examined the stick that now resembled a crude sword. Looking across the fire, he saw Brom smiling devilishly as he held a wooden blade of his own. "Oh, give it a rest, old-timer."

"Come over here and say that to my face," Brom challenged. Then his grin widened as he said, "Or are you too afraid?"

"All right, that's it," Natsu snarled, tossing aside his stick angrily. "In Fairy Tail, we do things with our fists when we spar! Even Erza knows that!" And he leapt across the fire to punch straight at Brom's face. The older man dodged and whacked Natsu across the back of the head as he went by.

"When you face the enemy, they will not care what weapon you choose to use," Brom said dryly. "And should the day come when your magic runs dry, you would do well to have a weapon in your hands."

To Natsu's surprise, Lisanna tossed him his stick. "Listen to him, Natsu," she urged. "When I was in Edolas, I had to use a sword because I couldn't use my regular magic, and it proved pretty handy. Besides…" she grinned mischievously and winked at her old friend. "Don't you want to be able to beat Erza at her own game when we get back home?"

 _That_ got Natsu's attention. "Well, when ya put it that way…" He grinned broadly as he took a stance that he'd seen Erza use when fighting with one sword. " _I'm all fired up_!" And he unleashed a rain of blows at Brom, who countered and evaded them with ease. Not only that, the old man managed to bruise Natsu from head to toe in a matter of minutes, much to the discomfort of him and the others. Every now and again, he would run Natsu through some swordplay moves before resuming his vicious attacks.

"How is he beating Natsu…?" Wendy asked a trifle nervously.

"Well, to be fair, he's not using magic, and he's never fought with a sword before," Lisanna replied. "Unless he suddenly started using one recently, right?"

"No, he's only ever used Fire Dragon Slaying magic," Wendy replied.

"Then that's why," Lisanna nodded. "If he wasn't holding back so much, mister Brom would be a pile of ash already."

" _Don't underestimate the old one,"_ Saphira said in a serious tone. _"He is far more capable than one might think."_ Wendy suspected she knew why Saphira was saying that, but her oath in the ancient language prevented her from commenting on the matter.

When Natsu had been beaten, he plopped down on his bedroll, grumbling angrily to himself. Wendy giggled and moved to heal him, even though she knew that he had received far worse from Gray on an almost daily basis. Lucy had told her all about their daily hall brawls, and she had even seen Gray and Natsu go all out during a time when the ice-make wizard had feigned being an evil accomplice with a crazed scientist. This was nothing- but it didn't hurt to practice her healing magic, either.

"Thanks, Wendy," Natsu said as she finished ministering to him.

"No problem," she grinned. "I'm always happy to help." Just as she got up, it was Eragon that was being knocked into the dirt. The girl sighed heavily- she could tell that it was going to be a long night.

* * *

Out of the four of them, Lisanna definitely did the best, though that wasn't saying much. Brom earned himself a few bruises form her, but she ended up amassing a collection of welts, same as the others. Wendy was the only one spared physical injury, but her fragile pride was bruised badly as Brom struck like a phantom, each blow so close she could feel the breath of the sword strokes on her body whenever the blade came near to her.

Brom explained that although enemies would not hold back, he had no wish to strike a little girl, so he would have to settle for non-contact until she could hold her own against him. This both relieved and embarrassed her in equal measures. By the time everyone made it to bed, more than one curse was tossed at Brom, much to Saphira's amusement.

* * *

The next day, Eragon's legs were healed enough for them to begin their journey out of Palancar Valley. As they left their campsite, Eragon lingered for just a moment. "What's wrong, man?" Natsu asked.

"I don't know…" Eragon answered truthfully. "So many things are going through my head right now, I don't know how to feel. I'm leaving my family behind without a word of farewell, and now I feel as though I'm saying goodbye to my home for the first- and last- time."

"Nah, not a chance," Natsu grinned. "I'll stick by ya until you can come home again, okay buddy? That's a promise as a wizard from Fairy Tail."

Eragon's eyes widened at that. He may not have known the guild personally, but he knew Natsu and Wendy well enough to know that they did not invoke the name of their home lightly. Natsu was making the most binding of oaths that he knew how to make that he would see Eragon home. And that lifted his spirits enough to make him smile back.

"Thank you, Natsu," he said.

"No prob," the dragon slayer grinned brightly. "Now let's get a move on! We've got a couple a monsters to chase down and a king to boot!" And with that, the group walked away, not knowing that some of them would never return to this place.

* * *

 **Makarov: That last bit sounded pretty ominous... What are you planning to do with my children, Mataras?!**

 **Mataras: Oei, chill out! Wait for the story to finish before you go slinging any giant or fairy magic at me, okay?**

 **Gray: As long as we get to see more of that old guy beating up Natsu, I'm cool with this story.**

 **Gajeel: I'm almost done writing my new masterpiece, so I think I'll check in to see Salamander get his butt handed to him.**

 **Erza: You traitors! How can you be so callous towards your own comrade?!**

 **Gray: Cos he's annoying.**

 **Cana: Says the guy with the stripping habit.**

 **Gray: Huh? AH! Where's my clothes?! I know that wasn't me!**

 **Mataras: Juvia... give 'em back.**

 **Juvia: Never! My beloved looks so handsome, why should he try to hide it?!**

 **Mataras: Because I'll cast a modified version of Fairy Law on you if you don't give his clothes back _this instant_!**

 **Lucy: Whoa, he's not messing around here! Though I do have to wonder what he meant by a modified version of Fairy Law...**

 **Mavis: He's been practicing it for weeks, and I gotta say- anyone that it gets cast on is gonna get hurt pretty bad.**

 **Lucy: How bad are we talking here...?**

 **Mavis: It's designed to destroy dragons in one blow.**

 **Lucy: And he'd use it on Juvia?!**

 **Mavis: Knowing Mataras...**

 **Lucy: Juvia! Give 'em back! I'm too cute to die yet!**


	10. Exploring Land and Heart

**A/N: Hello again, readers! This chapter we will look a little bit more at the developing relationships between Wendy and Saphira, and- my personal favorite- Natsu and Lisanna. Enjoy, and please be sure to leave a review!**

* * *

Exploring Land and Heart

Their path took them out of Palancar Valley by the end of the next day. Much of the time was spent talking about the different worlds that the Fairy Tail members had been to. They all agreed that Edolas had been the world that had the most difficult magic to get used to, Fiore had the most versatile of dangers, and- so far- Alagaesia seemed to be the one in the roughest shape.

As they walked, Natsu was not oblivious to the way that Lisanna looked at him with a dream-like quality in her eyes, nor the way that she would blush and turn away whenever he met her gaze. He remembered that she used to do that when they were little kids, too, and it had gotten better as time went on, but now, there seemed to be a new element in the picture. What it was, he couldn't tell, but he wished he could- trying to figure his old friend out all over again was going to make his head hurt.

It might have helped things if Wendy had mentioned that Natsu had a tendency to blush whenever Lisanna looked at him for any amount of time, but she didn't know much about having a crush on anybody, so she stayed silent on the chance that she was wrong.

" _Why can't those two-legs come out and admit that they have feelings for one another_?" Saphira asked Wendy at one point. " _If it were any more obvious, they would be wearing signs that say 'Be my nest-mate!_ "

" _I don't think it's our place to get involved,_ " Wendy said a bit nervously, afraid of offending the blue dragon. " _I don't really even know what it means to be in love with someone, so I have no idea of what's going on in their heads right now_."

Saphira snorted, though she couldn't be physically heard. She was hiding in the forests during the day so that if the group ran into other travelers, she would not attract attention. " _I am the last of the free dragons, and I shall involve myself in any manner I please_ ," she said smugly.

" _Maybe, but Natsu was trained by Igneel to be a dragon slayer_ ," Wendy cautioned. _"Even among dragons, those two aren't normal_."

" _What do you mean by that?_ " Saphira asked, slightly affronted by the idea that Natsu could defeat her.

" _Natsu didn't tell you guys_?" Wendy asked in surprise.

" _Tell us what_?" Saphira demanded, her thoughts flashing slightly red with impatience.

" _Natsu's dad is probably the most powerful fire dragon around,_ " Wendy said simply. " _His proper title is Igneel, King of the Fire Dragons. Even my mom, a sky dragon, knew who he was. And she seemed to hold some kind of respect for him, too._ "

" _So then…_ " Saphira shook her head, not certain that she was adding things up right in her thoughts. " _That would make Natsu…_ "

" _Yup. The prince of the fire dragons,_ " Wendy nodded. Saphira had no response to that, so she severed the connection to Wendy.

* * *

They reached a small, unnamed town by that afternoon. The way into it was blocked by a single, roughly dressed individual. The grimy man was standing in front of small bridge that led over a small river. Their packs were too heavy to swim, so they would just have to see what this man wanted.

Natsu cracked his knuckled and grinned eagerly as he anticipated a fight, but Brom held up a hand to forestall him. "Wait a moment," he said firmly. Before the pink-haired boy could start shouting angrily, the old man said, "If I say 'move aside', then you can hit him."

"Rrrgh…" Natsu grumbled. "Fine." That settled, they moved to confront the man.

"Ye c'n stop right there," he slurred. "This 's my bridge. Ya gotta pay ta git over."

Brom frowned slightly, seemingly concentrating. Then he shrugged. "There's no one watching us," he said simply. "Move aside." Before the man could utter a retort, Natsu had smashed his flaming fist into the man's face, instantly decking him.

"Aw, yeah!" he giggled. "That felt good! Thanks, old-timer!"

"Glad you enjoyed yourself so much," Brom said dryly as he knelt beside the unconscious man and started feeling at the purse he kept on his belt. When he encountered the sound of many coins, he used his knife to slit the bag from the thug's belt and put it in his own pack. "This idiot should know better than to keep so many coins in one place- there must be over three hundred crowns in here."

"Er, Brom?" Eragon said hesitantly. "I know that he was trying to extort us, but should we really be robbing him like this? He-"

"Would have done the same thing if he had the chance," Brom said to cut him off. "And as I recall, you didn't have any problem stealing back in Carvahall." He was referring to the leather that he had used to make a saddle for Saphira, and the meat that was currently keeping their bellies full.

"I did what I had to in order to survive and accomplish my mission," Eragon replied with some heat.

"Same thing here," Brom shot back. "This money will get us horses so we can catch up to the Ra'zac. Or would you rather they get away and have the chance to hurt more innocent people?" When Eragon stayed silent out of stubbornness, Brom shrugged and said, "Sometimes you have to choose the lesser of two evils, Eragon. I'm sure that the longer you're a rider, the more you'll learn about that."

* * *

The group went into town without causing a ruckus, and Brom quickly figured out where to find horses from a young boy that he tipped for his information. As they walked through the streets, Natsu and Lisanna ignored the curious looks that their bizarrely colored hair attracted. Wendy was a little more self-conscious, and she clung to Natsu for comfort. At least their clothing wasn't a source of more curiosity anymore, the younger dragon slayer thought.

Their old clothes had been torn up, so they now wore clothes that many people considered normal in this country, including Lisanna. Travelling in a dress like hers would have only attracted unwanted attention, so she now wore some articles that Elaine had given her. The only thing that Natsu refused to take off was his scarf, despite its bizarre appearance. Other than that and their hair, they looked like regular travelers, especially with their Fairy Tail emblems covered up.

They walked into a stall filled with about twenty horses or so, all of them placidly chewing on their dinner, or just napping. Wendy and Lisanna took to walking up to the ones that were awake and talking to them in hushed voices. Natsu, Eragon, and Brom went to talk to the owner, who was grooming a powerful-looking white horse.

"Good afternoon to you," the man said with a friendly enough smile. "What can I do for you today?"

"We need three horses," Brom began. It had been decided between him and Eragon that three would be enough for their travels, as the girls were light enough that they could ride double without a good horse having too much trouble. "We're going to be doing some hard riding, so they need to be tough, but not necessarily the fastest, just good endurance."

"Hmm…" the man said thoughtfully. Then he put away the brush and began walking around the stall and indicating three horses that he deemed suitable for such conditions. He selected a tall gray horse and two brown bays. "Will these do?" he asked.

Brom looked them over, the looked at the white horse that they were still standing beside. "I'll take one of the browns and the gray," he said. "But how much would it cost me for this one over here?"

"Snowfire?" the owned said in disbelief. "I'd rather not sell him- he's the finest I've ever bred, and I was hoping to sire a whole line from him."

Brom nodded his understanding, but reached for his newly obtained purse anyways. "How much would it all cost me, the three that I've selected, including riding equipment?"

"All of that?" the owner said, his brow furrowing. After a moment, he grinned and said, "Two hundred and fifty crowns." He seemed confident that no one would pay that much. However, his face fell just a bit when Brom simply raised an eyebrow and counted out the money before holding it out for the owner to take.

After debating internally for another moment, the owner sighed heavily and took the money. "Very well," he said. "My heart goes against it, but they are yours. For the sake of Snowfire, I hope that tragedy does not befall you."

"I'll treat him as though he were sired by the steeds of the gods themselves," Brom promised. "No harm will befall him on our account."

"Thank you," the man nodded. "It does lessen the pain of his parting somewhat to hear that, sir." Then they set about saddling the horses and gathering the remaining equipment that would be used to care for the beasts.

As Eragon held onto the brown horse, Brom said, "You're his owner now. You should give him a name, you know." Looking over at Natsu, who was with the gray horse, he added, "You too."

Eragon thought about it for a moment, then looked at the horse in the eyes and said, "In honor of my grandfather, I name you Cadoc."

Natsu eyed the horse uneasily. He knew that riding a horse itself wouldn't make him sick, but a lot of vehicles were pulled by horses, and thus they were the source of his misery, too. "All right, big guy," Natsu said. "Since you remind me of something that I have to rely on even though I don't like it, you're getting the name Gray."

* * *

With the horses, their progress in catching up to the Ra'zac became more profound. Brom was confident that they were heading to a town where the king's presence would be strong so that they could resupply without too much trouble. Before they could reach this place, though, they would pass through a town called Yauzac.

During the day, they would ride at a forced march, with forty minutes in the saddle, ten minutes break, then ten minutes walking so that the horses didn't have to carry the people the whole time. Brom, Eragon, and Natsu stayed on the same horses, but the girls changed every shift so that the horses weren't constantly burdened by the weight of two people. Fortunately, Natsu's motion sickness did not kick in since he didn't view animals as vehicles. In the evenings, they would practice with their wooden swords, much to everyone but Brom's discomfort.

"Yauzac will be a good place to listen for any rumors concerning where the Ra'zac may have gone," Brom explained. "It's almost like a small city, with two major roads leading through it. If the Ra'zac are heading home, they will likely have taken one of these roads. I'm also hoping that Natsu and Wendy can pick up on their scent if we're fast enough."

"We can try, but it gets harder to pick out a certain smell if there are a lot of people around," Wendy explained. "We might not be able to find them that way until we actually get closer to them."

"They do have a pretty rotten smell, though," Natsu said. "If we're within a mile of 'em, I couldn't miss 'em."

"What if the wind blows in their favor?" Brom queried. "Would that affect you?"

"Oh yeah…" Natsu said, his frown deepening as he buried his nose in his scarf.

"Er, Brom?" Eragon said as he pointed ahead. "What's that?" Up ahead on the open grass fields, the ground seemed to be flattening itself in pattern that approached the group, accompanied by dark storm clouds.

"That… is a very bad storm, headed right at us," Brom said with a small frown of worry. He looked around, trying to find some form of shelter, but in the grass plains, there was none to be found. Then his eyes widened, and he looked up to see Saphira in the sky.

"Eragon…" he said warningly.

The boy looked up and paled. "Oh no," he gasped. Then he shouted with both mouth and mind, " _Saphira! Land!_ " The blue dragon was already on it, turning around to zoom away from the oncoming storm. Even so, it was clear- "She's not going to make it!" Eragon shouted as he urged his horse into a faster sprint, into the storm.

Wendy, who was riding with him, narrowed her eyes as she felt the power of the oncoming storm. From the amount of energy in the air, she could tell that it was going to hit like one of Grendina's wing attacks. If she didn't do something, Saphira could easily end up being dashed into the ground or carried off to who-knew-where.

She leaped off of the saddle, much to Eragon's surprise and faced the oncoming wind with a determined expression. Before she had joined Fairy Tail, she never would have attempted what she was about to try. But her confidence and power had both grown thanks to her adventures with the other guild wizards. Calling on the power of the heavens, she began to suck in all the air that she could, trying to divert it away from the all-but-helpless dragon above her.

Just before the angry winds could strike the others, the storm began to find its way into Wendy's stomach as she drained the power of the sky into her tiny body. She could hear Natsu warning her to be careful, but she kept going, trying to give Saphira the longest possible opportunity to land safely. She kept going and going, and soon she began to feel a change within her. The power she was absorbing was taking on a new form within her body, and her hair literally began to stand up on end, glowing a pale silver-pink

Natsu's eyes widened as he noticed Wendy's scent change while her hair lifted up, glowing with power. "Natsu, what's happening to Wendy?!" Lisanna called to be heard above the howling wind.

"That's…" he breathed in shock. Amidst the swirling wind, he could almost see the outlines of a powerful dragon hovering over Wendy, spreading its wings wide even as the girl outstretched her arms to either side. "That's Wendy's Dragon Force!" he shouted.

"What is a Dragon Force?!" Brom asked.

"It's the final form of a dragon slayer!" Lisanna shouted back. "If a dragon slayer consumes enough magic power, they can become even more powerful that the dragons that trained them! It's the power that they gain in this form that earned them the title in the first place!"

" _So Wendy… has surpassed her mother?_ " Saphira asked wearily. She had just avoided being thrashed by the storm.

"Yup, and now we're about to see the real power of the Sky Maiden!" Natsu crowed.

As if on cue, Wendy stopped absorbing air and shouted loud enough to be heard above the wrath of nature, "Sky Dragon _ROAR_!" Her voice seemed to be amplified by the magic, the others thought, because none of them had ever thought that Wendy could make herself sound that loud.

But that was nothing compared to what came next. The tornado that shot out of her mouth was so powerful and wide that it scattered the winds themselves, and beyond that, the clouds that had been threatening to soak them were cast aside like so much as flimsy piles of feathers. The night sky was opened to reveal shining stars, and the wind that continued on was no more than a light breeze.

Wendy panted heavily as she felt her hair fall back down behind her back and on her shoulders. She turned back to face her friends with a tired grin on her face. She was greeted by a variety of expressions. Natsu looked immensely proud of her, Lisanna looked delighted that her younger peer had just taken an important step in her magical training. Eragon looked positively astounded, with his mouth hanging open and eyes wide. Brom also looked shocked, though he showed it differently, his cane ground into the dirt and his knuckles whiter than dried bones.

But Saphira's reaction was what caught Wendy's attention the most. The blue dragon was breathing heavily from the exertion of her flight, but other than that, she did not move, and her eyes were totally focused on the young girl. The blue orbs were split only by a hair of a pupil, and they did not blink. At first, Wendy thought that she was angry with her, but then she realized that it wasn't anger that she saw in Saphira's eyes. It was fear- no, not even fear, she knew. Saphira, confident and vain Saphira, was terrified.

* * *

Lisanna watched Natsu shattering excitedly with Wendy with a small smile on her face. Being out on an adventure like this with the Natsu of her childhood was like a dream come true. Only in her wildest dreams had she thought that she would get to go on an unknown quest with her best friend by her side. And he had grown up to be an even greater wizard than she could have expected, both in skill and as a young man.

She giggled at the thought of him and Gray getting along like Wendy had told her, and even the way that he had the guts to knock out Erza. And the way that he treated Wendy like a loving older brother was definitely nice to see. _I wonder… how he sees me?_ She wondered.

"Got something on your mind, girl?" Brom said gruffly as he sat beside her. "Something with pink hair, perhaps?"

Lisanna blushed slightly and replied, "Is it that easy to tell?"

"If it were any more obvious, you'd be wearing a wedding dress by now," Brom replied dryly, which caused Lisanna to go very red in the face. "Why don't you just tell him what lies in your heart?"

"Well… it's complicated," Lisanna stammered.

"Then simplify it," Brom said flatly as he began to work with a flint and stone to get a fire going.

"Well…" Lisanna mumbled. "It's like this… He and I were really close as kids… But then he thought I died, so I feel like I just became a good memory in his head. Now that I'm back, he doesn't know what to make of me, and I don't want to rush him…

"Also, in the world I was living in before this one, there was another version of him like we explained before. He was… close to another girl… So I don't know if it was the same in Earthland. I mean, he talks about her from time to time, so I don't-"

"Is this girl here right now?" Brom interrupted.

"No…"

"And Natsu hasn't said whether or not he was definitively interested in her?" Brom said, still working the flint.

"No," Lisanna said a little more confidently.

"Do you want Natsu to know how you feel about him?"

"I do, but I'm afraid of how he'll react." Lisanna's face fell slightly. "What if he rejects me? It would make things really awkward at the least."

"But if you say nothing, you may never know," Brom said, almost to himself. A little more loudly, he added, "I know what it's like to be in love when you're young… Thrilling and terrifying at the same time, much like it must be to ride on the back of a dragon…" He looked around to make sure that Eragon wasn't within earshot before continuing, "But if you never get in the saddle, you'll never know whether or not you can fly with your partner, will you? Take my advice, Lisanna: don't wait too long to speak. Only bitterness lies down that path."

"Yes, sir," Lisanna nodded slowly. "Thank you for listening, in any case."

"My pleasure," the old man smiled slightly. "Young people often renew my spirit to keep living in this world…" He struck the flint again, but still failed to produce a flame, only managing to make the tinder smoke weakly. He scowled heavily and cursed, "Brisngr!" He struck again, and this time, fire sprang to life.

Lisanna gasped as she sensed a slight amount of magic power emanate from Brom, and the dragon slayer's heads immediately snapped over to look at the old man. Before any of them could ask what had just happened, Eragon moved to rejoin them, and Brom quickly said, "Finally got it going. Must have been smoldering inside."

"Thanks, Brom," Eragon nodded, seeming to buy into the story. "I'll get dinner ready, in that case."

"Good, then," Brom nodded. He then set about whittling at some sticks in preparation for their nightly combat sessions. "We should reach Yauzac tomorrow. On the off chance that we do run into them, I think we'd best go in armed. Lisanna, you know how to fight unarmed, correct?"

"Yeah," she nodded. "It's been a while since I used my takeover magic in combat, but I'll manage."

"Good enough," Brom muttered. "Because until we manage to get some more money, we don't have enough money to get any new weapons."

"That's okay," Natsu grinned as he cracked his knuckles. "We'll take those creeps on, Fairy Tail style."

"What, with just magic and your fists?" Brom said dryly.

"No, with our friends next us going at one hundred percent," Natsu winked at Lisanna as he raised his right hand above his head and pointed his first finger and thumb upwards. Lisanna blushed as she mimicked the motion, and Wendy smiled happily as she also made the sign.

"What does that sign mean?" Eragon asked.

"Well, Master never revealed where it came from, but it signifies a promise," Lisanna replied as they put their hands down. "That even if we can't see each other, no matter how long we're separated, we're always looking that person's way. We look out for one another in spirit, even if we can't physically be there for each other."

"That's' a beautiful gesture," Eragon finally said with a smile. Then he turned and looked back the way that he had come, back at the mountains of Palancar Valley. He made the sign, then, saying, "Roran, Uncle, Mother… Wherever you are… I'll be looking out for you. This I swear, on the legacy of the Dragon Riders."

The others watched Eragon as he stood there in the gentle breeze, making the solemn vow. Before he turned around, though, Lisanna was certain that she saw Brom wiping at his eye.

* * *

 **Gray: Are you kidding me?! He named a friggin' _horse_ after me?!**

 **Elfman: Hey! Horses are manly! You should be proud!**

 **Mirajane: Well, I think it's sweet how Lisanna is starting to fall for Natsu.**

 **Elfman: She deserves a real man, and that's just what Salamander is!**

 **Gajeel: He's no more a man than Romeo is!**

 **Romeo: Hey!**

 **Mackow: Hey, don't talk bad about my boy!**

 **Gajeel: Or else what?! You ain't got half the firepower that Salamander does!**

 **Romeo: My dad's the coolest! Except... maybe Natsu...**

 **Mackow: Gah?!**

 **Makarov: Face it, old-timer. You've been replaced as your little boy's idol.**

 **Mackow: First my wife, now my boy...? Why can't I win...?**


	11. Wrath of the Dragons

**A/N: Hello, everybody! I owe you all a huge apology for such a late update, but having to jobs on top of classes is kicking my butt big time! But in any case, I'm here now, and I'm sure you all don't want to hear my excuses, so go ahead- enjoy the newest chapter in this crossover!**

* * *

Wrath of the Dragons

Yazuac came into view early the next afternoon. At first the sight relieved Eragon, who had begun growing wary of their dwindling food supply. However, his relief was gone as soon as he noticed Natsu sniffing at the air with a heavy frown on his face.

"What is it?" Brom asked the boy.

"Not sure," Natsu replied. "The wind is blowing towards the town, not from it, so it's hard to get a good sense of what's going on down there… But there's something in the air that I don't like. I've got a bad feeling in my gut." He gripped the reins of his horse fiercely, while Lisanna tightened her grip on him from behind.

Wendy sniffed at the air experimentally from behind Eragon, then also came to bear a frown. "Yeah, it smells like… Like…" She paused as she searched for a comparable smell, but nothing came to her.

"Should we push past Yazuac?" Eragon asked Brom.

The old man seemed to think for a moment before shaking his head and said, "We can get water easily enough from a river, but we can't be wasting time hunting for food. And if we run into trouble, well… Let's just try not to get into trouble. If the king were to hear of Natsu and Wendy, he'd have their heads personally. And I'd rather avoid that if it's all the same to you."

"Man, we have to hold back again?!" Natsu complained. "This trip is no fun!" Everyone ignored him and his grumblings as they drew closer to the town. However, even he grew quiet as they reached the main road into the town.

There was something very wrong with the place, Eragon thought. It wasn't that the people were hostile, it was just that- "Where are the watchmen?" he asked suddenly as it hit him. Looking around, there was no kind of guard to be found anywhere. Even more unsettling was the lack of noise from the town itself. No children playing in the streets, no marketplace activity, no men or women anywhere.

"I don't know," Brom said with a thoughtful frown.

"Maybe we shouldn't go in there," Wendy said nervously. "I'm starting to get a bad feeling about this place, too."

"Hmm…" Brom muttered as he swung down from his saddle. "Natsu, Eragon, come with me. You girls stay put until I tell you it's safe to come in." The two boys leapt down from their horses without any arguments. Eragon made sure that he had his bow and arrows in their proper places while Natsu continued to sniff at the air, his scowl deepening.

"Natsu?" Lisanna said worriedly. "Are you sure going in there is a good idea?"

The scowl transformed into a fierce grin as Natsu looked up at the white-head and said, "Not at all. Look for my signal to come running, okay?"

"What signal?" Lisanna asked, to which Wendy giggled a bit.

"Like you should even have to ask," she said when Lisanna shot her a puzzled look. "Even I know that the best way to find Natsu is to run towards the biggest explosion."

"You got it, kid," Natsu grinned at Wendy. As he walked into town with the other men, he made the Fairy Tail sign over his head without turning around. But both girls knew that he was smiling when he did.

* * *

The smile was gone as soon as they rounded the corner, though. "Empty," Eragon commented unnecessarily. Sure enough, there was no one to be seen or heard. "Natsu, do you smell anything now that we're out of the breeze?"

Natsu frowned as he concentrated on trying to find the source of his unease with his enhanced sense of smell. The frown suddenly turned into a snarl as he took off down the street without a word, surprising Eragon and Brom, who scrambled to catch up with him. They finally caught up to him when he stood still, looking up in the middle of the town square.

"What-?" Eragon began, then he stopped, and his jaw dropped in horror. Brom handled the sight a little better, but Natsu still heard the man utter a low curse under his breath.

Piled before them in a most haphazard manner was the town's population, all dead. Men, women, children, animals- not a single life had been spared. The sight nearly made Eragon vomit, but then he saw a single raven land on the very top, where an infant had been tossed. Anger burned in his heart, and he shot the scavenger before it could tear into the body.

 _Then_ he was sick, falling on his hands and knees while Brom moved to pat him on the back. Natsu, on the other hand, stood there, shaking with rage. He clenched his fists so hard, his nails cut into the palms of his hand, and several veins bulged in his forehead.

"Who…?" he breathed angrily. "Who…?"

Brom moved from Eragon to examine one of the arrows sticking out of one of the bodies. "Urgals," he muttered. Looking down at the ground around the villagers, he nodded to himself and said, "Yes, this is urgal work. Can't be more than a day ago or so, perhaps even this morning- otherwise the smell would have started."

"Wherever these urgals are…" Natsu growled, his fists glowing with ominous flames, "They're gonna pay for this." He had learned about urgals some weeks past from Eragon while walking to where Saphira had been sheltering herself. Many considered them to be the natural enemies of humankind, just as cats would naturally fight dogs. Up until now, Natsu wasn't sure how much stock he put in the tales, but now things seemed certain enough.

"Wait a moment," Brom suddenly said sharply. Then he cursed and said, "We need to get out of here, now."

"Why?" Eragon gasped as he wobbled to his feet.

"Because there are still urgals here!" the old man said as he grabbed the young rider and turned him around. Before he could get Eragon going, though, a guttural roar was followed by an axe swipe that nearly took off their heads. Natsu had whirled around and yanked the pair backwards, and out of the path of the weapon that nearly killed them.

" _Fire Dragon CLAW_!" he roared as he smashed his flaming foot into the ugly mug of the horned monster. There was an ugly snapping sound as its neck was broken followed by a solid _thud_ as it hit the earth.

Another one bellowed angrily as it moved forward with a sword and shield. Natsu back flipped out of the reach of its sword. Then he let loose a breath attack, trying to fry the monster on the spot. However, it hid behind its shield, blocking most of the magic. Natsu saw this, growled and said, "You might be tough, but ya ain't even close to Erza's level. _Fire Dragon BRILLIANT FLAME_!" The fireball he cast sent the urgal flying, even though it was dead from sheer force on impact.

Before he could celebrate his victory though, a fourth urgal, this one towering above its comrades, moved from around a house to challenge him. Natsu glared at it and said, "Bring it on, ugly. You guys have cooked up a real fire in my belly, and now it's just raging to get out."

* * *

Meanwhile, Eragon and Brom had found themselves pursued by three more urgals. Eragon was still in bad shape from being sick, so it fell on Brom to defend them both. "Why are they here?" Eragon gasped as he barely parried a sword blow from one of the brutes.

"These few are likely deserters," Brom muttered as he shoved back another one of the monsters before running it through. "There's no way that just a half-dozen of these things could take a town this size." Before he could explain any more, the third urgal bellowed mightily and knocked his sword aside long enough to slam its shield on Brom's head, knocking him senseless.

This left Eragon alone to face the monsters, weakened and armed only with a blade. He didn't have time to reach his bow and arrows, nor was he at an appropriate distance to use such a weapon. He swayed, unsteady, prompting the urgals to laugh harshly at his condition. The taunting sound, coupled with the sight of the dead villagers behind them, made something inside Eragon snap.

He glared angrily at the two monsters as he dropped his sword off to the side. Setting his feet wide for a steadier stance that helped him maintain his balance, he let the fury that he had been harboring against the monsters that would kill a child in cold blood build up within him. Taking a deep breath like he had seen Natsu do many times before, he let his anger finally burst to the surface, in the form of a word. A word that would forever change his life. A single word that would open the door to a destiny more epic than anyone could have ever predicted.

With everything that drove him to fight, he yelled, " _Brisingr_!" As soon as the last syllable left his open mouth, blue fire shot forth from his lips. He stood there, transfixed as the blue flames engulfed the two urgals and reduced them to ash. The way that the fire gushed forth reminded Eragon of Natsu's breath attack, save that the color was different.

Then the fire disappeared, and Eragon felt incredibly weak, falling to his knees and trembling violently. He was barely aware of Wendy and Lisanna coming to his side before everything went black.

* * *

By the time Eragon came to, they were a mile out of Yazuac. Natsu and the others had a made a makeshift campsite as soon as they felt safe to do so in order for Wendy to properly concentrate on healing Eragon and Brom. Natsu had a few bruises and a large scratch on his left arm, but nothing too major, he claimed.

"What happened?" he asked when he finally felt more awake.

"Magic," Wendy said as she looked down at her patient. "You used magic, Eragon."

"I…?" he mumbled.

" _You have grown, little one_ ," Saphira's voice echoed inside his head as he looked over to see the blue dragon resting under some trees. She was looking at him with a gaze of motherly concern, which seemed ironic to him- after all, he was the older one.

"You've gone and got yourself in quite the mess, youngster," Brom said gruffly.

"What?" Eragon said dumbly.

"Oh, don't mind Brom," Lisanna said with a bright smile. "He's just in a bad mood because those urgals got the best of him."

"Hmph," Brom growled. "There may be some truth to that, but I am also quite serious about what I just said. Magic in this world is- from what I can tell- much more complicated than the magic you kids practice. As such, the consequences for using it are far more dangerous than you would be used to."

"What're you talkin' about, ya old windbag?" Natsu asked. "If you know what happened to Eragon, just come out and say it. Stop beating around the bush, already."

"I agree with Natsu," Eragon said as he sat up with Wendy's help. "Clearly, you know something about what's happening to me. Seeing as I'm the one that's been affected, I think I have a right to know how I did what I did."

"Foolish boy!" Brom roared, startling the others. "You ask questions to which there are answers best left unlearned by anybody, especially someone like you!"

"Why?!" Eragon countered angrily. "If I am to be a Dragon Rider, then I have a right to know more than anyone! It's obvious to me now that I have somehow gained the ability to use magic, and like it or not, I may have to end up using it again! So tell me what I'm getting myself into, so that way I don't walk about my destiny half-assed!"

"This isn't something you can just display like a badge, Boy!" Brom shot back. "Magic from our world has different rules that that of which you are used to dealing with! You're lucky you didn't kill yourself with that little stunt you pulled!"

"Explain, then!" Eragon said angrily. "I don't have a death wish, so tell me! What did I do to kill those urgals?!"

Brom muttered something under his breath angrily for some time while everyone else looked at the unfolding scene uncomfortably before he looked Eragon in the eyes and said, "Did you say something?"

"What?" Eragon asked, still a bit short-tempered.

"When you used your magic, did you say something?" Brom elaborated.

Eragon recalled the moment briefly before he nodded and said, "Aye. Brisingr." As he said the word, the campfire seemed to flare in response, and he shivered from the sheer _feeling_ that the word seemed to hold within it.

"I thought so," Brom nodded. "When you spoke that word, you used the word that contains the very essence of fire itself."

"What are you talking about?" Natsu asked. "Whenever Wendy, Lisanna and I use magic, we don't have to use weird words to cast spells."

"As I said earlier, our magic works differently than yours does," Brom said dryly. "The magic of Alagaesia is bound by an Ancient Language. Each word in this language is not only the _original_ name for each thing described, but it has the _true_ name for them. For example, _brisingr_ is the Ancient Language's name for fire. As a matter of fact, it is not just _a_ name for fire, it is _the_ name for fire. It is fire in all of its entirety, summed up in a single term. Such is the power of the Ancient Language. To know something's name in this language gives you complete mastery over the named object."

Natsu looked like he had stopped understanding at the beginning while everyone else looked at the old man in awe. Finally, after Eragon looked briefly over at Saphira, he said, "You know magic, don't you? That's how you started the fire the other day, despite the wind. When you said… that word… you used magic, didn't you?"

Here, Brom hesitated again, seeming to consider what he should and should not reveal. The others- even Natsu- secretly held their breaths, wondering if Brom might finally tell Eragon the truth. However, all Brom did say was, "I am proficient to some degree."

"Where did you learn?" Eragon asked eagerly, his past anger already gone.

"Somewhere far away," Brom answered vaguely. "Suffice to say, it was from a very good teacher, though even he admitted that he did not know as much as he would like to know about magic. So before you go getting ahead of yourself and asking me to share what I know with you, understand that your education would be paltry compared to what the Riders would have given you, were you with them in their days of glory."

"The riders could use magic?" Eragon asked. "All of them?"

"Every single one, and not one mortal magician, or even the elves, could stand up to a fully trained rider when it came to magical strength," Brom nodded, seeming satisfied that Eragon was not suspicious of him anymore.

"Then teach me what you can," Eragon declared. "I want to honor the legacy of the riders as much as I can."

Brom looked at the eager young man and said, "Be careful what you wish for, Eragon. The Riders knew great power and wisdom, yes… But also tragedy like no others. Theirs's is a legacy I would not be eager to carry, though I hope that ill fortune does not befall you the way it did them."

"Hey, old guy," Natsu said brusquely. "What'd ya mean about your magic having more consequences than ours? It's kinda been bugging me this whole time."

"He can think?" Brom muttered under his breath. Raising his voice, Brom said, "Natsu asks the very question you should have, Eragon- what are the risks? Listen well, because this must stay with you if nothing else ever does." When Eragon leaned forward expectantly, Brom's voice lowered as he said, "The reason you felt so weak after you killed the urgals is because a spell caster's body provides the energy for the spell. The amount of energy needed to make the fire took a massive toll on you, and it could have potentially killed you, as I said earlier. For if a spell caster's body duns out of energy…" He waited for Eragon to finish.

"Then the caster would… die?" the boy said, paling slightly.

Brom nodded somberly. "Now, you begin to understand, Boy. Your friends have a separate chamber in their bodies specifically for storing massive amounts of raw magic energy. You and I do not possess such a feature. So when our energy runs out, we don't just lose our ability to fight- we lose our right to live. _That_ is the nature of our magic."

* * *

 **Makarov: Interesting... So while Eragon's magic remains unchanged in nature, the way in which he attacked those monsters is very similar to how Natsu fights... Very interesting, wouldn't you agree, First Master?**

 **Mavis: Very! I have to say, Sixth Master, I'm interested to see how much of an influence your children will continue to be on the young Rider.**

 **Lucy: Uh, no offense to the first master, but she looks like a little kid.**

 **Gray: That 'little kid' has been six feet under for a hundred years, remember? I think she can look however she wants.**

 **Lucy: Oh... right, hehe.**

 **Gray: Say, where's Juvia? My stalker sense isn't going off... What's she up to?**

 **Mataras: Remember how she stole your clothes that one time?**

 **Gray: Yeah, what about it?**

 **Mataras: She is currently... recuperating... from my version of Fairy Law.**

 **Lucy: What kinda psycho version of Fairy Law do you have up your sleeve anyways?!**

 **Mataras: You sure you want to find out? I can't promise you'll survive, though.**

 **Lucy: No thanks! I'd rather listen to Gajeel sing than fight you!**

 **Gajeel: Someone call my name? Cos my new piece is ready, and it is rockin!**

 **Mataras: You've got until the count of three to put that away- starting now. One.**

 **Gajeel: No way! I've been writing this new song for more 'n a month now!**

 **Mataras: Two.**

 **Gajeel: You're gonna hear it, and you're gonna like it!**

 **Mataras: Three. Times up.**

 **Makarov: That's my line, you copycat!**

 **Happy: Someone call me?**

 **Mataras: _Dragon Law._**

 **Everyone: Oh, crap.**


	12. Unexpected Guests

**A/N: Boy oh boy has it been too long! Well, sorry to make you wait, but in an effort to compensate, I've made this chapter extra long, and extra interesting! Enjoy, and please be sure to leave a review!**

* * *

Unexpected Guests

Brom began to teach Eragon the ways of Alagaesia's magic while the group rode on towards a small town called Daret. There were many things that the boy had to learn, and several of these lessons frustrated him. Wendy and Lisanna found it fascinating how versatile magic was in this world, while Natsu simply laughed at the sight of Eragon struggling to cast a spell that would allow him to lift a pebble in the air.

Among memorizing words to cast spells in the Ancient Language, Eragon was also discovering and developing his ability to use telepathy magic under Brom's watchful eye. Part of this lesson included practice with the dragon slayers and Lisanna, as Brom told them that they needed to learn how to defend their minds from enemy spell casters. Unsurprisingly to the Earthlanders, it was almost impossible for Eragon to get into Natsu's head, which did surprise Brom.

"I've never had much trouble talking to him in his head," he said aside to Lisanna one evening while Eragon tried to get into a grinning Natsu's mind. They would reach Daret the next day, having been travelling for nearly two weeks. "I'd have thought he'd be an easy start for the boy."

"Natsu's pretty thick-headed, as you might have noticed," Lisanna giggled. "Pair that with him being in his fighting mentality, and almost nothing is gonna get in there. As a matter of fact, he's had experience with fighting someone who could read his mind before. He just emptied his thoughts, and he was able to start winning."

"Truly emptying oneself of all thoughts is nearly impossible, though," Brom mused. "Though the fact that he can do it is not really surprising…"

"Natsu's pretty amazing, isn't he, Mr. Brom?" Wendy said quietly. "I don't think that there's anyone he can't beat."

"Need I remind you how he lost to the Ra'zac?" Brom huffed, annoyed. "I had to step in to save him."

"That was just round one," Wendy said with a brighter smile. "He never loses to the same enemy twice. That's the Fairy Tail way, and Natsu is as Fairy Tail as they come."

"So I've heard…" the old man grumbled. He was surprised when suddenly, Eragon shot to his feet in jubilation.

"I've done it!" he crowed. "I beat Na- Ack!" He dropped to the ground, hard, as Natsu got up even faster than he had and decked him.

"Shut up!" the pink-haired boy shouted. "I was doin' great and then I got distracted by a funny smell!"

"That might happen in battle fairly often, Natsu," Brom reminded him as he lit up his pipe.

"You shut up, too!" Natsu shouted angrily. "You got no part in this!"

"I disagree," Brom shrugged. "As I am your instructor in this area of magic, I would say that you making a mistake requires me to intervene."

"I didn't make a mistake!" Natsu protested.

"Obviously you did, otherwise we wouldn't be having this conversation," Brom replied dryly. "It's fine to make mistakes- that's why we practice."

" _I didn't mess up_!" Natsu roared, flames bursting to life in his hands.

"Uh, Natsu?" Lisanna said nervously. "What distracted you in the first place?"

"Huh?" he said, his flames suddenly going out. "Oh, right! I smelled somethin' kinda familiar comin' this way."

"Familiar?" Lisanna said hopefully. "Like one of our friends from Fairy Tail?"

"Nah, not like that," the boy said with a shake of his head. "Moore like… a dragon's smell. But not a dragon's smell… And mixed with someone we know… It's like I should know the scent, but it's been changed somehow."

" _This is the prince of the fire dragons_?" Saphira said privately to Wendy. " _I have returned to being unimpressed._ "

"Be nice," the girl whispered to the blue dragon. "You've seen how quick he'll fight people- and his magic is designed specifically to damage dragons. He might end up getting carried away if he fought you."

Saphira snorted smoke and replied haughtily, " _The day I breathe fire will be the day he learns his power has met its match_." Wendy was about to reply that breathing fire at the pyromaniac was not the greatest idea, a new picture came into the firelight.

Or rather, an unexpected one. "We finally caught up to them," a familiar, exhausted voice said, accompanied by the sound of a person sagging to the ground.

"At long last…" said another familiar voice. Everyone shot to their feet in shock- though Eragon was a bit unsteady- as they recognized Albreich and Baldor.

"What the-?" Natsu said as he looked at the two exhausted young men. "Albreich?! Baldor?! What're you guys doin' way out here?"

"Trying to catch up to you, that's what," Baldor sighed heavily.

"Why?" Wendy said as she moved to sit in front of them and heal their sore legs. "It's great to see you and all, but what brought you out here? Didn't you have work to do with your dad at the forge?"

"We would have loved to stay at the forge, believe us," Albreich said heavily. "But Father hired hands to help him out for the time being and sent us to find you because… well…"

"Allow me to explain," Baldor said as he accepted a water skin from Eragon with gratitude. After taking a sip, he said, "Originally, we were sent to find you purely for Roran's sake. But shortly before we left, we began having a set of symptoms very similar to his."

"Symptoms?" Eragon asked, his body tensing. "Is he ill? What happened to him?"

"We don't know, but we think that Wendy and Natsu have something to with what happened to the three of us," Albreich said as he took the skin from his brother and drank.

"What happened to you?" Brom asked shortly, clearly perturbed by the arrival of the two boys. "You both seems fine to me."

"Ask yourself this- how were we able to catch up with you when you've had a head start and horses?" the blond son of Horst shot back. "We followed your scent."

"Our scent?" Lisanna said, bewildered. "How did you do that?"

"Ask them," Baldor said as he gave Wendy and Natsu a pointed look. "They know a thing or two about following one's nose. Most of what we've become capable of is based on what we remember Natsu or Wendy doing whenever they practiced."

"Well yeah, but that's because we have dragon slayer magic that… enhances… our… wait a minute," Wendy said with eyes the size of dinner plated. "You're…"

"Right after you left, Roran started displaying an ability to transform his limbs into metal," Albreich said with a nod. "Nearly gave Garrrow a heart attack when he started eating a shovel for breakfast, apparently. And soon after that, my brother and I… Well it was a little different."

"Wait just a moment!" Eragon shouted, his eyes wide. "Are you telling me that Roran has somehow gained the ability to use magic like Wendy and Natsu?!"

"We think so," Baldor nodded. "Does that kind of magic sound similar to either of you?" He directed the question at Natsu and Wendy.

Natsu made a face of disgust as he said, "Yeah, I know that kinda magic. That sounds like Gajeel's Iron Dragon Slayer magic."

"That's just what I was thinking," Wendy nodded. "But you said something happened to you two? Are you okay?"

"Well, if this counts as okay…" Baldor said as he lifted his right hand, which suddenly transformed into a wispy shadow. "Then yes, I'm fine."

"A shadow?!" Lisanna squealed.

"Whoa!" Natsu exclaimed, looking excited. "A Shadow Dragon! Cool!"

"And then there's me," Albreich muttered. From his hand shone a brilliant while light that was nearly blinding in the darkness. "Pure white light."

"A White Dragon!" Wendy exclaimed. "They're cousins to the sky dragons, cos they both practice holy magic!" Then a thought hit her. "Wait, but how is this even possible? You've never had any training from a dragon!"

"That's what we were hoping to ask you," Baldor said. "Roran stayed behind because he didn't want to leave his father and Katrina. And when I started unconsciously drinking shadows during the night, and Albreich started eating the sun's early rays of light, we decided to come and ask you how this might have happened. Also, if there is a way to control it better than having half my limbs suddenly transform into darkness at random moments in the day."

"Or scaring poor Gertrude when I suddenly illuminated the entire street with my fist," Albreich muttered, a trifle embarrassed.

"Oh, I know how!" Natsu said as he cracked his knuckles. "Ya got let all of that excess power! And the best way to do that is fighting me!" Fire burst forth from his hands as he took a fighting stance with a bright grin on his face.

"Natsu, calm down," Wendy said nervously. "They came here to get help, not fight you."

"Like I said, fighting _will_ help!" he giggled.

"Enough!" Brom said sharply, adding a quick word in the Ancient Language that rendered Natsu unconscious. "Now," he grumbled while Horst's sons gave him stunned looks, "Let's start over. When did this begin to happen to you? Was there anything that happened with Natsu and Wendy that lead you to believe that they are directly responsible for these changes? Did they cast a spell on you of some kind?"

"Well, there was one time when I broke my thumb while crafting a horseshoe," Albreich said after a moment of thought. "Do you remember that, Wendy? You healed me with your magic when I came inside."

"Oh yeah, I remember that," Wendy nodded.

Brom nodded quietly to himself before he turned to Baldor and asked, "And you, boy? Did Wendy or Natsu do anything to you?"

"Aye," the younger son of Horst nodded. "I was ill with a violent cold that Wendy cured. But what does that have to with our condition?" Though he and his brother hadn't interacted with Brom very often, they did know that he was somewhat of a historian.

"Bear in mind what I propose is simply a theory," Brom muttered. "But it is this: Wendy has somehow done more than just pass healing energy into your bodies. She has unlocked your ability to use magic."

"What does that mean?" Albreich asked curiously.

"All people in this world are born with the potential to use magic," Brom explained. "But much like the color of blond hair is a rarity, and not every child will inherit the trait from their parent, so it is with magic. The potential is there in everyone, but few are born with the ability to use the gift."

"But why are they displaying powers from Wendy and Natsu's world?" Eragon asked, confused. "If their magic has been unlocked as you said, shouldn't they be learning to use magic like me?"

"Not necessarily," Brom shrugged. "When Wendy healed them and inadvertently unlocked their magical abilities, some of her power may have affected the way that it was developed within them, and what they have experienced is the result."

"Wait, Eragon can use magic?" Baldor said, his and his brother's gaze snapping over to the young Rider.

"Yes, but it is different in nature to yours," Brom explained. "This may take a while to explain, so you might as well get comfortable…

* * *

When the two brothers had been caught up to speed on everything that had transpired since they all took off in pursuit of the Ra'zac and even been introduced to Saphira, Baldor finally asked, "So how do we change back? Or at least get this magic under control?"

"I don't know," Brom replied noncommittally, which irritated the two brothers until he added, "But I get the feeling that Wendy and Natsu might be of some help to you in that regard."

"You knocked out Natsu," Lisanna reminded the old man.

"Then wake him up," Brom replied irritably.

"Um, maybe we shouldn't," Wendy suggested timidly. "It's getting pretty late, and I think Baldor and Albreich need some sleep after what they've been through. Even with our magic, chasing after four people on horses has to be exhausting."

"I could do with some sleep," Albreich mumbled tiredly.

"I could do with a great deal of it," Baldor agreed as he unrolled his blankets from his pack. "Strange magic or no, I'm not prepared to deal with it until we've had a solid night of rest."

"Kids," Brom grumbled as he put out his pipe and rolled into his own makeshift bed. "We'll sort you lot out in the morning then." And he promptly went to sleep. Lisanna, seeing that nothing more was going to happen that night, curled up next to Natsu and also fell into slumber with surprising swiftness.

Wendy let out a sigh of relief at the sight of the quieted camp. _Hopefully Brom's spell keeps Natsu asleep until morning so everyone can get some good rest,_ she thought.

" _I would not count on that,_ " Saphira chuckled just before Wendy too was claimed by her dreams. The blue dragon hummed softly to herself as she looked up at the stars and added to herself, _Perhaps the salvation of my kin from the clutches of the traitor-king lies with these so-called dragon hunters… For who better to kill the riders of dragons than those born to slay their source of power?_

* * *

The next day when everyone was awake, Baldor and Albreich consulted with Wendy and Natsu, the latter of course wanting to fight them. Lisanna set about practicing her takeover magic, which somewhat distracted the sons of Horst, while Eragon resumed his lessons in swordplay and magic with Brom.

After some debate among the dragon slayers, the two that had been trained by their parents agreed that they actually would have to teach the new magic-users how to fight with their magic so that it would stop being released without their intent at random moments. This of course pleased Natsu and dismayed the two brothers- they had seen Natsu fight, and they were not eager to test themselves against him.

"Aw come on, it'll be fun!" he cackled. "Let's start by workin' on your most basic attack- the roar!"

"You mean like your fire breath?" Baldor asked.

"Yes," Wendy nodded. "Every dragon, even the healing dragons, had at least some attack abilities, which included their roar."

"So how do we use this power?" Albriech asked, a little fidgety. "Do we just shout the magic phrase to use the power?"

"Sorta," Natsu said as he turned away from them and put his hands on his head. "Ya gotta picture it happening, but the yelling isn't really necessary. It just helps focus your thoughts on whichever attack you're trying to use. But I'm pretty sure you noticed some of the magic is automatic without ya needin' to try."

"Like our sense of smell?" Baldor prompted, to which Wendy nodded.

"Also, being able to eat shadow and light as a source of food and healing is another side effect," she added. "Now, we'll start by-"

"Letting me have everything ya got!" Natsu crowed as he whirled around with a flaming fist that nearly floored Baldor. It was only because of his sharpening reflexes that he dodged the blow, his eyes wide with panic.

"What are you doing?!" he shouted.

"You could have hurt him!" Albriech added angrily.

"Then make me stop!" Natsu shouted with a bright gleam in his eyes and a smile. "Roar! Show me what ya got!"

"Uh, Natsu?!" Wendy said, now worried. "I don't know that-"

"This is how my dad taught me!" Natsu laughed. "It'll be fun! Now, let's see ya roar!" And he tossed a fireball straight at Albriech, whose eyes sparked with anger.

Reaching deep into his gut, he briefly recalled the name of the dragon power sleeping within him before setting his feet in a wide stance and spreading his hands wide as he shouted, " _White Dragon ROAR_!" A shining white circle appeared before his open mouth just an instant before a brilliant beam of pure white light shot forth from his mouth, faster than any fire they had seen Natsu spit, shredding his fireball and slamming into the pryokinetic wizard.

Natsu went sprawling, and everyone looked on in shock. No one had seen him take a hit that hard at the beginning of a fight. He stood slowly, a feral grin on his face, perhaps even more to his friends' surprise. Even Brom seemed taken aback by both the amount of power released and the resiliency of the young wizard.

"Yeah…" Natsu grinned. "That's more like it. I knew ya had it ya…" He stumbled a bit, then straightened himself as he added, "Now, your turn, buddy." He fixed his gaze on Baldor, who paled.

"I don't know if I can-" he began, but Natsu wouldn't have it.

" _Fire Dragon WING ATTACK_!" Tendrils of fire sprang from his hands and lashed out at the younger son of Horst, who leaped backwards and looked to his brother for support. All Albriech did was nod with an encouraging smile.

So, like his brother, Baldor took a stance and focused on the power he could feel gathered in his stomach before shouting as loud and hard as he could: " _Shadow Dragon ROAR_!" More alert this time, Natsu dodged the attack and laughed at the expression on Baldor's face.

"Feel better?" he asked as he lit up his fists with flames.

"Much," Baldor nodded after a quick moment. "I didn't realize how unsettled I felt, keeping in all that power… Thank you, Natsu."

"Thank me by not stopping," the boy grinned. "We're just getting' started. I'm all fired up now!"

"Heh," Albriech said as he cracked his knuckles. "Now I'm interested to see just how much power we really have- and how we can use it. This should interest Roran when we tell him about it."

"Hey guys, you're pretty new at this, maybe you shouldn't-" Wendy tried to intervene, but Albriech was already moving, gathering power in his belly. Baldor was only a bit behind him, shadows streaming from his mouth as he too, prepared to roar.

"Let's see you really roar this time!" Natsu laughed. "And try to keep it interesting!"

Brom and the others could only look on with fear for what was about to occur.

By the time the short fight was over, Baldor and Albriech were wiped, as was an entire acre of grassland. Natsu stood over the defeated brothers, looking disappointed. "Man, was that it?" he asked sourly.

"You know, with all of this commotion, it's a wonder that the Ra'zac don't know we're following them!" Brom said furiously. "You need to keep it down from now on, especially when we're near to a settlement!"

"Ah, put a sock in it," Natsu shrugged. "It's not like anyone was gonna see us out here."

"Until we know we've been spotted, I'll assume we're still at a risk," Brom said angrily. "I haven't survived this long by doing things your way, boy! I have to think ahead of my enemies!"

"Please, if anyone was comin' I'd smell 'em," the pink-haired boy said casually.

"Natsu, Mister Brom is just trying to be careful," Lisanna said as she walked up. "And while I know you're excited about training new dragon slayers, you could have gone a bit easier on them…"

"Nah, that's how we get tough," Natsu said. "Just ask Wendy, she knows what I'm talking about!"

"Actually, my mother never taught me how to fight, though some of those spells in the book Miss Gertrude gave me can be used for attack," Wendy admitted. "She was more concerned with teaching me how to heal other people instead of attacking them."

"Man, your mom sounds lame!" Natsu complained.

"Don't talk bad about my mother!" Wendy shot back.

"Or else what?!"

" _Sky Dragon ROAR_!" Wendy shouted, blasting Natsu high into the air and making him spin inside a tornado. When he came back down to crash on the earth, he was shade of green that looked anything but healthy.

"I am…so sick…" he groaned.

"So much for healing others," Eragon chuckled. "That looked like it hurt. Honestly, I didn't expect Wendy to attack him like that."

"He asked for it," Baldor groaned.

"Make it all stop…" Natsu moaned. "I hate… spinning…"

"Serves you right, boy," Brom muttered, out of sympathy for the spunky pink-head. "Maybe now you'll learn a thing or two about respecting others."

"You do realize that this is Natsu we're talking about, right?" Albriech muttered as he got up off the ground. "I don't think learning respect was ever high on his list of life skills." Wendy moved over to heal him and his brother, which they thanked her for.

"Brom, we've lost a day to the Ra'zac with all of this," Eragon reminded him. "What is our next move?"

"We'll press on again, starting tomorrow," Brom said. "We'll reach Daret in two days and see if we can find any leads on the Ra'zac there. With any luck, someone can at least tell us which direction they went."

"And what if it's like at Yazuac?" Lisanna asked with a slight frown.

"Then we head for Teirm, a larger settlement, more like a small city," Brom answered. "I find it highly unlikely that they would have been attacked, even if the urgals are gathering. It's a bit out of the way, but… actually, we might head there anyway. Come to think of it, I have an old friend that might just be able to help us out who lives there."

"Then why not head straight there?" Eragon asked.

"Because we still need to see if we can get any clues as to where the Ra'zac went," Brom answered. "If we can catch up to them sooner by going to Daret, I'm willing to take the risk of a night's delay."

"And what about us?" Baldor asked. "We've only just begun learning about our magic. But we still have to return to Carvahall to tell Roran what we've learned."

"You are welcome to travel with us," Brom said with a shrug. "But we will not stay still another night after tomorrow. The Ra'zac are escaping, and it is imperative that we find them before they completely vanish. If you want to continue learning from Wendy and Natsu, you'll have to come with us."

"Why can't they come back with us?" Baldor asked.

"Because those jerks hurt Lisanna," Natsu grunted as he got off of the ground. "And no one hurts a member of Fairy Tail and gets away with it if I'm around. I'm not stoppin' until I've put those monsters in the ground, and I ain't goin' back to Carvahall until that's done." The look in his eyes was enough to shut Baldor and Albriech up. Never had they seen Natsu get so angry before. The cheerful-if-clueless wizard they had grown to know was gone, replaced by a determined, dangerous warrior.

"But… We promised Roran we'd help him," Albriech finally said.

"Why not write him a letter?" Eragon suggested. "You can write to him about what you've learned, and then we can send the letter from Daret or Teirm, right Brom?"

"Not a bad, actually," Brom nodded. "Good thinking, boy. You might just make a decent Rider with time."

"And this way, we can let Mister Garrow know that you're safe, too," Wendy said to Eragon, before he could retort against Brom.

"Yes, but I imagine Uncle will be quite cross with me," Eragon said uncomfortably. "He may not want to hear from me."

"Oh he's cross alright," Albriech chuckled. "But he's also worried about you. It'll do him good to get a letter."

"So you'll be coming with us then?" Lisanna asked.

"I don't see that we have another choice," Albriech shrugged. "We need to know as much about our magic as possible, or else we run the risk of hurting ourselves, or someone else."

"We'll write up a letter as soon as we get into the next town," Brom promised.

"All right!" Natsu said excitedly. "Now I can-"

"Which _means_ you need to tone it down until we get away from Daret," Brom snapped. "If we get into a fight with the army, tales of your power and Horst's sons will only spread to reach the king. And I as I have said before, I have no desire to meet him in person."

"Neither do we," Baldor said with a shudder. "We promise we'll be careful."

"At least now that you've practiced a bit with controlling your powers, your bodies should stop changing without you meaning them to," Wendy said to try and boost their spirits. "But if anything else happens, just let me or Natsu know."

"Thank you," Albriech nodded. "We promise that we will not be a burden."

"I get the feeling you will be less of a burden than some of the other people in this group," Brom muttered, to which Natsu and Eragon looked indignant, and the girls laughed.

* * *

 **Sting: Whoa, wait minute! First you gave out Blacksteel's tricks, now mine and Rogue's?! Not cool!**

 **Mataras: I disagree, so deal with it.**

 **Sting: What kind of an excuse is that?!**

 **Rogue: Erm, am I the only one that noticed that no one from Fairy Tail is here?**

 **Mataras: Eh? Oh yeah, they're all recovering from that spell I hit them with.**

 **Yukino: you may have been a bit too harsh with that, you know...**

 **Mataras: Perhaps, but I don't really happen to care. They'll be fine, I didn't kill them.**

 **Sting: You could have, though.**

 **Mataras: Could have, and actually having done something are completely separate issues.**

 **Sting: I disagree!**

 **Mataras: I believe I've made myself clear on how little I care.**

 **Rogue: You pickin' a fight with Sabertooth?**

 **Mataras: Have you already forgoteen what happened to the last guild that challenged me?**

 **Rogue: Whoa, easy. We're just trying to have an argument, not a fight!**

 **Mataras: Said no Dragon Slayer ever.**

 **Sting: Dammit, he got us there.**

 **Mataras: And with that, I shall bid you farewell. Until next time, take care.**


	13. On Guard

**A/N: Heyo! Sorry it's been so long... Hit a bit of a writer's block, even though I have the story mapped out already. Also, job hunting. Looooots of job hunting. But I am ack with a new chapter, and hopefully the next one doesn't take so long, huh?**

* * *

On Guard

"Well that sucked," Natsu grumbled.

"It could have been worse," Lisanna replied. "They _were_ nice enough to let us buy supplies and all."

They were all thinking about their trip to Daret, which had turned out to be a very short one. They were met with open hostility from the locals, and were denied entry into the town. The captain of the guard had said that bandits and urgals were so bad as of late, no one was allowed in the town that wasn't a local.

However, after some discussion and smooth talking on Brom's part, they were able to pay for the supplies that they sought. However, they were denied letter service, as the town did not have messengers to run back to Carvahall. So Roran's letter would have to wait until they reached Teirm it seemed.

Brom was talking to Eragon about how he could have used his abilities to sense the potential malicious intent of anyone they came across when Lisanna finally decided to breach the subject she had been afraid to bring up. She was riding double with Natsu, and a bit of wind was enough to give them some privacy, even with their comrades nearby.

"Hey, Natsu?" she asked. "Can I ask you something?"

"Sure," he said with a grin in his voice. "What's on your mind?"

"Well…" she hesitated, and her arms tightened around the pink-haired wizard. "I'll be honest… I'm really afraid of what I'm about to talk to you about…"

"Hey," Natsu said as he turned to look over his shoulder at her with sincere eyes. "No matter what it is you're afraid of, I'll be there for ya. I'm glad to have you back, and I don't ever wanna see us separated again."

His kind words warmed her heart, and she finally knew that she could say what she needed to say. "Natsu, I want to know how you see me exactly," she said firmly. "Can you tell me what it is that you think of me and our friendship."

Natsu turned back around to look out at the horizon without a word for some time. Lisanna was patient, though, and she waited for his answer without complaint. Finally, he said, "Lisanna, you're my closest friend besides Happy. I never want that to change, not ever. And I know that when we were kids, we used to play house and all that… Truth is, when you were gone, and I thought I'd lost you, I realized how badly I wanted those times to come back. So…" He turned back to face her with a bright grin and the words, "I'll always stay by your side, Lisanna. I'll treasure our friendship until my last breath, because it's the most important thing I've ever had in my life."

"Natsu…" Lisanna said, with tears in her bright blue eyes. "Does that mean… you love me?"

Natsu's grin widened as he answered, "If this is what love is- having you as my best friend in all the world- then yeah, I do love you."

Lisanna buried her face in his scarf as the tears fell. "I wanted to hear that for so long…" she cried. "I've loved you since before I even knew how to define love…"

"That long, huh?" Natsu grinned. "Well, I'm just sorry I didn't know until now. But I'll try my best to make up for lost time. So don't cry, okay? It's a waste to see you cry- I'd rather see you smile, okay?"

Lisanna lifted her face with a bright smile and tears both. "Can't I do both? Just this once?"

"I think I can make an exception," the fire wizard chuckled. "But from now on, no more tears. Okay? My favorite thing about you has always been your smile- reminds of all those sunsets we used to watch together."

"Natsu…" Lisanna smiled wider right before kissing him on the cheek. "You have to promise me that you won't cry, either. Just smiles."

"For you, I can do that," he laughed. "Were you really scared of talking to me about all of that?"

"Petrified," Lisanna said as she wiped at her eyes. "I know that Lucy and Natsu in Edolas were really close, so I was afraid that I'd get rejected."

"Nah," Natsu said as he turned back around. "Lucy's a great friend, but I don't really see that happening… 'Sides, she's got Loke around."

"Who?"

"Oh right, you never met him," Natsu chuckled. "Long story, I'll tell you some other time, okay? Right now I just want this moment to last, ya know?"

"I do too," Lisanna sighed as she leaned back into Natsu's back.

"Er-hem," a rough voice cut in, causing them both to stiffen. "Sorry to interrupt…"

"Fire Dragon…" Natsu began as he looked over at a grinning Brom.

"I'm simply marveling that you are actually capable of being serious," the old man chuckled. "Maybe there's hope for you after all."

"I'm serious when it counts!" Natsu protested.

"And the moment's gone," Lisanna sighed to herself. "Well, it was nice while it lasted." Despite her complaint, she knew that being involved with Natsu would likely involve more interruptions like that- he was known for being rather spontaneous.

"What's going on?" Wendy asked as she rode up with Baldor.

"I just finally took some good advice," Lisanna smiled while hugging Natsu again. "Thanks, Mister Brom."

"You are welcome," he said with a slight head bow.

"Is something interesting happening?" Albriech asked as he and Eragon rode up.

"Not unless it's lunch time," Natsu grumbled.

"Natsu!" Lisanna smacked his back. But he didn't let them see the bright grin on his face as he urged the horse forward. His only regret about the moment was that the rest of Fairy Tail wasn't there to share in the moment.

* * *

Unfortunately, something else came along to ruin the moment for the new couple. It was Natsu that picked up on them first, when he started sniffing the air around them experimentally. "We got company," he said in a low voice.

"What kind?" asked Baldor.

"Take a whiff and see," Natsu replied. Albriech, Baldor, and Wendy all started sniffing at the air while Brom and Eragon extended their thoughts out to sense for incoming company. They all arrived at the same conclusion at the same time.

"Imperial soldiers," Eragon said aloud.

"Think we'll have to fight them?" Wendy asked nervously.

"I hope not," Brom answered. "They're looking for a group of five of us, if indeed they are looking for us. I'd say chances of us being apprehended are low."

"But if they do try anything, they'll in a new world a hurt," Natsu grinned as he cracked his knuckles. "We got four dragon slayers and a dragon rider, so if they try anything funny, they'll be getting what for."

"Correction," Brom grumbled. "We have two dragon slayers, two half-trained slayers, a barely realized dragon rider, an old man, and a girl with shape-shifting abilities."

"Well when ya put it like that, it sounds bad!" Natsu complained.

"He's not wrong though," Albriech sighed. "Let's just hope that we can avoid attracting attention in the first place."

About fifteen minutes later, they encountered them. It was a standard squad of thirteen, twelve men and a captain. As they drew nearer, Brom said, "Let me do the talking. Natsu, I'm talking to you."

"Hey!" he protested.

"And keep your hoods up," the old man added. "Your hair attracts too much attention." At Daret, a number of the items they had acquired included gloves to hide Eragon's mark of the Riders, the gedwey insignia, and cloaks with large hoods that covered the Earthlanders' hair as to hide it from onlookers.

"Right, hold there!" the captain called out. The travelers immediately became wary as they were surrounded by the soldiers.

"Good past noon," Brom said evenly. "How can we assist you?"

"You can be cooperative and hand over the young men there," the captain said abruptly. "Avoiding the draft is punishable as treason, so they'd best come quietly."

"Draft?!" Eragon protested. "What draft?!"

"Be quiet!" the captain shouted angrily. "All those over the age of sixteen are to serve in the army of our king."

"Sucks for you, pal," Natsu grinned fiercely. "Nobody here's that age."

"How dare you speak to me with your cowl lowered!" the captain shouted as he urged his horse forward to draw alongside Natsu. "Remove your hood if you dare speak to me again!"

 _Natsu, don't,_ Brom said into his mind. _Let me handle this!_

 _These guys aren't interested in letting you talk your way out of this,_ the pink-haired boy shot back. _This guy tries anything, and he's gonna get a taste of my magic._

"Didn't you hear me?!" the captain bellowed. He drew his hand back to slap Natsu across the face, only to have the boy catch him by the forearm with an iron grip. "Get _your hand off of me!"_ he roared.

In response, Natsu leaped off of the horse and back flipped to land behind the surprised captain. "You got a thing or two to learn if that's how you plan on recruiting people," Natsu said.

"Now you die," the captain snarled as he drew his sword and levelled his blade at the grinning mage.

Albriech's eyes widened as the pompous captain moved to kill Natsu, and he acted on his newly developing instincts. " _White Dragon ROAR!"_ A laser burst from his mouth and speared through the soldier, killing him before he could even look down and recognize what had killed him.

"Idiot!" Brom shouted as he drew his blade while the soldiers around them drew their own weapons, despite being clearly afraid. "Now we have to fight all of them!"

"Hey, if you don't wanna fight, leave it to us," Natsu grinned as flames danced across his hands. Then he was springing into action, even as Lisanna leapt up high and used her takeover magic to transform into a white tiger-human hybrid, granting her enhanced strength and speed.

Galvanized into action, Baldor and Wendy leaped off of their horse and put some distance between themselves and a set of three soldiers. "Stay behind me, Wendy," the boy said as he put himself between the soldiers and the girl. "I won't let them hurt you."

"Look at the peasant, playing the hero," an older man sneered.

The next thing he knew, Baldor was leaping forward, shadows gathering around his arms. " _Shadow Dragon WAXWING FLASH!"_ Darkness similar to Natsu's wing attack lashed out and blasted the three soldiers back, causing their horses to spook, though it didn't kill them. The dragon slayer in training frowned. He had thought that his attack would do more damage, but it hadn't had the desired effect.

Looking back at Wendy for a moment, he asked, "Why didn't that work?"

"You haven't practiced that technique enough," the girl replied. "It happens when you first try a new attack sometimes. But how did you know that one? Natsu and I didn't know about it."

"Uh…" the boy gasped as he looked back at the soldiers, who had regained control of their horses. "Instinct?" He felt as though he had just spent a long day in the forge after that attack.

"Cool," Wendy grinned. "Wish I could do that."

"Yes, well- ach! Get back!" He moved back to engage the soldiers while keeping himself between the girl and the soldiers. " _Shadow Dragon ROAR!"_ Black-and-grey energy blasted out of his mouth, smashing into two of the men, this time with enough force to break their necks. However, the third one was able to approach, a now-exhausted Baldor.

He was on his hands and knees from the sudden drain in his power, but he refused to move from his position in order to protect the girl behind him.

So she did it herself, leaping straight at the oncoming rider, wing gathering in her right hand. _"Sky Dragon CLAW!"_ Her attack caught the soldier square in the chest, sending him sprawling in the dirt, breaking his spine from the impact. Again, it was a quick death dealt from a dragon slayer.

* * *

Meanwhile, Natsu was paired up with Lisanna, fighting back-to-back with her. _"Fire Dragon TALON!"_ His leaping kick blasted a soldier off his horse, giving Lisanna an opening to tear into him with her claws.

* * *

Albriech was breathing hard as he faced down his own enemy, a young man not much older than himself. "Why… are you in the army?" he gasped.

"Because it pays well enough to keep my family fed, and they leave my sister alone," the youth replied bitterly. "I take no pleasure in ending your life, but my oath to Galbatorix is forever binding." And he hefted a spear to run Albriech through.

"Albriech!" Eragon cried as he smote his opponent with Zar'roc. "Catch this!" He splayed his hand and shouted, "Garjzla!" A burst of blue light flew at his comrade, who opened his mouth and gulped it down like Natsu had taught him to do. Immediately, he felt the shaking in his muscles cease, and his strength returning.

"Thanks, Eragon!" he shouted as the soldier regarded him with fear.

"What kind of monster are you?!" he cried.

"I'm the White Dragon Slayer," Albriech said grimly. "And that means that I have to use my gifts against the empire, as long as I have them." The soldier was visibly shaking as Albriech's hand glowed with a brilliant white light. _"White Dragon CLAW!"_ He shot forward at top speed, even faster than Natsu, and landed a solid punch to the soldier's gut, right in his solar plexus, finishing him right then and there.

* * *

The battle was over, with Natsu looking around at the carnage with sadness. "Sure wish we didn't have to fight these guys," said quietly.

"We didn't have to!" Brom said angrily. "If you had let me handle things like I told you to, none of this might have happened!"

"I disagree," Baldor said. "Natsu was right when he said that those men weren't interested in talking. The only way we could have gotten away from them was by force." Albriech nodded in agreement, but nobody else said anything as Brom gave them a withering look.

"Have you all forgotten that I've been around the block many more times than you?" he said, seething. "Will you listen to nothing I say?"

"Maybe we wouldn't have such a hard time listening to you if you would be more open with us!" Eragon shouted back, much to everyone's surprise. "Trust is a two-way path, Brom! Why should we listen to you when you have no interest in telling us what we need to know?!"

"Because you shouldn't know right now!" Brom roared. "Believe it or not, I keep my secrets for your peace, and not my own! There many things I have held in for decades, _decades_! And no matter how much I want to share in the burden of secrets, I have made vows of silence that cannot be broken!"

There was an uncomfortable silence until Wendy spoke up. "I get it," she said quietly. "You took oaths in the Ancient Language, didn't you?"

"I did," Brom growled. "So no matter how much you nag and complain, I cannot tell you about them unless certain perquisites are met."

"The whole of Alagaesia at stake, and you make such vows?" Baldor said wearily. "Why would you do that when it could help Eragon?"

"Because if the Empire captures him, untrained as he his, with all of the knowledge I possess, it would doom all of Alagaesia that much faster." And he walked away to recover the horses, who had been spooked by the fighting.

* * *

 **Gajeel: Heh, those rookies ain't half bad. 'Course, they got nothing on Salamander.**

 **Makarov: Did I just hear you praise Natsu?**

 **Gajeel: Don't say a word, or I'll never hear the end of it.**

 **Makarov: I wouldn't dream of it.**

 **Gray: Uh huh, sure you wouldn't.**

 **Mataras: I see everyone's recovering from Dragon Law quite nicely.**

 **Lucy: No thanks to you!**

 **Mataras: Shove off!**


	14. When Ra'zac Fly

**A/N: Hey guys, sorry it takes so long for these new chapters to come out. :P But I hope that the content they hold is worth the wait! Without further delay, let's find out what Natsu and company are up to now!**

* * *

When Ra'zac Fly

As the group travelled on, Brom switched their training from using sticks to using actual weapons, which he taught Eragon to guard with magic so that they would not cut each other to pieces, though at one point Natsu received a broken collarbone from a blow that Brom delivered. Wendy had to heal him and Lisanna had to restrain him from thrashing the old man with his fire magic.

Baldor and Albriech also continued to train with Natsu and Wendy in the art of Dragon Slayer magic while Eragon learned Rider's magic from Brom. Lisanna often got her exercise in magic with Saphira by changing into one of her animal forms that granted her flight and taking to the skies with the young dragon. Saphira reveled in the chance to share the skies with a friend, though she sometimes confided to Lisanna that she wished Eragon would ride her, as he had not done so yet.

"You know, maybe you should be more direct about it," she said. "I mean, I tried to be subtle with Natsu for a long time, but you kind of have to be direct with him if you want him to understand you. Eragon might just need a clearer signal from you, Saphira."

" _It would be much hard to refuse a dragon's direct demands,_ " Saphira agreed after a moment of thought. " _Very well._ " And she dove down, landing close to the horses, startling them and their riders.

"Down, Gray!" Natsu shouted as his horse reared, nearly throwing off him and Wendy. "Bad horsey!"

"Saphira?" Eragon said as he managed to calm down Cadoc. "What's the problem?"

" _You,_ " she said angrily. " _You are the problem._ " When she neglected to explain herself further, he got off of the horse and approached the dragoness, only to wind up flat on his back and her foot pressing down on him.

The younger fighters looked to Brom on what to do, but he simply shook his head and motioned for them to stay put. Whatever was happening between the rider and dragon needed to run its course without any assistance. Natsu grumbled to himself, but he stayed put for the moment, knowing that Brom knew more about dragons in this world than he and Wendy did.

Eragon's face went blank, a sure sign that he was using telepathy to speak to Saphira in private. When he moved again, he looked over at Brom with an uncomfortable expression on his face. "She wants me to ride her tomorrow," he said.

Brom stroked his beard and nodded after a moment of consideration. "Yes, I suppose it's time you do learn to ride her. Besides, I'd like to think I made that saddle for something." He seemed to be hiding a smile as he spoke.

Eragon looked back up at Saphira, and after another moment of quiet communication, she let him up off of the ground. She took to the skies even as Lisanna landed among them and Eragon got to his feet. "Are you okay?" she asked the young rider.

"Aye," he grumbled uncomfortably as he made to get back up on his horse. "Let's just get moving again." He rode ahead of the group, ignoring them all.

"Why doesn't he want to ride on Saphira?" Baldor asked curiously.

"Yeah man, whenever Igneel took me on a ride, it was awesome!" Natsu grinned at his friend, who still seemed rather uncomfortable about the whole thing.

"Remember how Saphira technically kidnapped him after the Ra'zac appeared?" Wendy reminded them. "I had to heal his legs because her scales cut through his skin pretty badly. I think he's just afraid that it'll happen again even though he's got the saddle."

"But that's stupid," Natsu laughed. "The old man made that saddle so it wouldn't hurt Eragon, so it won't! What's he got to worry about?" The others looked at Natsu, not sure if he was being sincere. Up until this point, he only seemed to like arguing with Brom, not supporting him. What brought on this change of heart?

"I mean, Eragon's the last Rider, right?" Natsu continued, either oblivious to or ignoring the looks everyone was giving him. "And the old guy doesn't want the riders to die." He shot the last part at Brom, who simply raised an eyebrow.

* * *

The next morning, Eragon took to the skies with Saphira, much to her elation. While he flew above, Baldor approached Natsu while they rode on the path to ask, "Hey Natsu? Does our magic have any limits? I mean, Eragon's magic was pretty limited when he started using it, but he's been getting stronger. We seem to have started out fairly powerful, but we haven't really seemed to increase out potential. Is there a reason for that?"

"Natsu's not exactly the right guy to ask that," Lisanna giggled as Natsu gave him a blank look. As far as he was concerned, he didn't need limits, so why bother asking if there were any to begin with?

"Magic from Earthland works like this," she explained as Albriech also moved closer to listen. "We have an internal reservoir of magic that grows as we get older. The starting size- for lack of a better term- can be determined by a number of things, but usually people born from strong wizard parents are born with large amounts to begin with. In other cases, like people born randomly with magic and aren't related to anyone with it, usually their magic power has a small pool of energy inside them. But with you two, I'm not entirely sure how much power you were granted when Wendy accidently unlocked your Dragon Slayer magic.

"In any case, you can grow your reservoir by using your power repeatedly, kind of like working out a muscle, which is similar to what Mister Brom is having Eragon do, but yours is not limited by your body's physical strength. However, it does grow more slowly, and there is no real way to test when you've hit your final limit."

"Magic doesn't have any limits if you don't let it," Natsu countered as he kept his eyes on the road. "Screw blood ties and all that. It might take some people longer than others, but you can be as strong as you want if your heart's in it." He grinned as he watched Eragon on Saphira's back, free as an eagle. "But if you two really wanna set the bar, maybe it's time we introduced you to the secret arts of Dragon Slayer magic"

Lisanna paled a bit and she squeezed Natsu from behind as she said, "Uh… Maybe they should wait for that? Those spells are designed to kill dragons, and if they use too much of their power, they might get sick from magic power depletion."

"Hehe," Natsu's grin turned even fiercer. "Gramps was always pushin' us to go past our limits. If these guys wanna be real Dragon Slayers, they need to kick it up a notch. Sides…" His face took on a slightly clouded look as he added, "Not even my secret arts were able to kill the Ra'zac. So I'm kicking it into another gear, too." His hands tightened on the reins as he thought of what they had done to Lisanna.

"Natsu," Albriech said to get his attention. "We'll find the Ra'zac. And we'll make them pay for what they did. To both you and Lisanna."

"Thanks," he grinned, relaxing visibly. "That means a lot to me, guys."

"To both of us," Lisanna smiled brightly at the young men, who smiled back. Lisanna was a charming girl, and it was difficult for people not to be affected by her charm. Her smile always seemed to help lift the mood, one of the reasons that Natsu loved her as he did.

"Hold up," Brom called out as he reined in his horse. "Natsu, Wendy, I need your help with this. Your sense of smell in particular." The two Dragon Slayers dismounted when Brom did to examine a strange sight in the ground.

The ground was torn up with deep gouges in the earth like something incredibly heavy had either stomped into the earth or leapt off from it. When Natsu and Wendy took a whiff of the air, they both recoiled and gagged.

"Agh!" Natsu growled. "That's just rotten!"

"I'll say," Wendy said as her eyes watered. "It's like the Ra'zac's scent times ten!"

"So the Ra'zac were here?" Brom asked with a frown. When Natsu confirmed that he did smell the Ra'zac in addition to the other horrible stench, he muttered, "This does not bode well… I'd better get Eragon." And he concentrated intensely as the two younger wizards moved to talk to their other companions.

"What was that?" Albriech asked with a look of concern on his face.

"Dunno, but don't go near that," Wendy grimaced. "You're still new at using your sense of smell, but trust me when I say you don't want to get near that smell."

"We'll take your word for it," Baldor nodded. "What does Brom think it is?"

"Not sure, but he seemed worried," Wendy replied.

"That's bad," Lisanna grimaced.

"Eh, whatever it is, I'm sure we can take it down," Natsu grinned as he cracked his knuckles. "I'm looking forward to catching to those beak-faced freaks."

"Of course you are," Albriech sighed.

When Eragon landed, he examined the gouges in the earth for a few moments before he hit on an idea. "These are tracks," he muttered. "Saphira makes similar tracks whenever she takes flight…" His eyes went wide as he said, "Could the Ra'zac have dragon mounts…?"

"No," Brom shook his head. "No dragon would ever consent to bear a Ra'zac. But who is to say that there are no other creatures capable of making such tracks?"

"What monsters could they be then?" Baldor asked with a shudder. "They would have to be rather evil to serve as mounts to the Ra'zac."

"I don't know…" Brom frowned. "Let me think on this for a while." And he went to sit on a tree stump and smoke on his pipe.

* * *

"Well, seems like we're not going anywhere for a while," Natsu grinned. "Who's up for some practice?" The group was taking a stroll through the woods when he voiced his request.

"Eh, why not?" Albriech said as he took a ready stance. The others moved back to a safe distance to give them free movement. "You'll just complain until we agree, so we might as well get it over with. _White Dragon TALON!"_ He launched forward before Natsu could prepare himself, landing a solid hit on his chest with a flat-handed palm strike.

He grinned and tried to retaliate with an iron fist, only to find that he couldn't move. "What the-?!" he cried. "What'd you do to me?!" He was able to crane his neck just enough to see that there was a shining circle on his chest.

Albriech grinned and said, "I've been waiting to use that technique. I was sparring with Baldor the other day when I discovered that my palm strikes can paralyze my opponents. And if you can't move, I'm free to hit as hard and fast as I want with no resistance." His fists shone with white light as he moved in to attack Natsu again, only to stop at the sight of Natsu grinning.

The next thing he knew, he was hammered with multiple fist and foot blows from the Fire Dragon Slayer. "What in the blazes?!" he muttered as he leapt backwards. "You shouldn't be able to move! Baldor couldn't even counter it with his shadows!"

Natsu grinned brighter as he turned to face Albriech directly, showing his smoking chest. "Nice try pal," he said. "You're makin' progress. But you'll have to do better than that."

"Rrgh…" Albriech snarled. He extended his fists before slamming them together and shouting " _White Dragon HOLY RAY!_ " Spears of light shot out of a glowing ball of light energy, all of them heading for Natsu, who was actually forced to dodge. Emboldened, Albriech let loose a roar that narrowly missed Natsu's shoulder.

The younger wizard retaliated with his own breath attack which slammed into Albriech with great force, sending him sprawling in the dirt. Natsu laughed as his opponent groaned and conceded the match. "Nice job with those new moves," he said as he helped the other wizard to his feet.

"Thanks," Albriech grunted. "Maybe someday I'll actually stand a chance against you."

"Heh, you're closer than you think," Natsu grinned.

"Hey everyone," Eragon said as he stooped down to pick something up. "Look at this." He held up a flask inscribed with a strange symbol that Natsu and the others did not recognize.

"What is it?" Lisanna asked.

"It has the same symbol as what the Ra'zac had on their cloaks," Eragon replied. "But I wonder what's inside here…" As soon as he opened it, Wendy's eyes widened and she grabbed the flask from him, careful not to spill its contents.

"Don't touch whatever is in here!" she said hurriedly before he could ask her what she was doing. "Whatever it is, it's toxic- and very, very evil." Natsu sniffed at the vial experimentally before recoiling.

"Jeez!" he growled as he clamped his fingers on his nose. "What is it with those freaks and having bad smells?!"

Baldor sniffed curiously, and he too recoiled in disgust. "That's absolutely foul," he agreed. "Still, it might be a clue."

"Let's go show this to Brom," Lisanna suggested as Eragon handed Wendy the cork for the bottle. The others agreed, even Natsu, and so they headed back to where Brom was still in thought.

* * *

"So what's the deal with that stuff?" Natsu asked Brom as soon as he had examined it.

"This is a rare find indeed," Brom mused. "It's called Seithr oil, and Wendy was right, it is incredibly dangerous and evil. Under normal circumstances, it is used to keep pearls lustrous and strong. But when certain words in the Ancient Language are spoke over it, along with a blood sacrifice, it gains the property to eat through flesh."

"That's horrible!" Lisanna gasped.

"Yes, but that's not necessarily what makes it special," Brom elaborated. "The thing about it is that the only thing it will destroy is living flesh. It can be put on any number of inanimate objects, and they will not be affected. It makes it a perfect assassination weapon."

Eragon frowned as he came up with a thought. "This oil," he said. "How rare is it?"

"Like diamonds in a pig trough," Brom answered. "I doubt that the king would be very pleased to know that the Ra'zac lost it."

"So if it's that rare…" Eragon said with a slight grin. "Couldn't we find some kind of record of its shipment in the empire? If it really is that rare, it shouldn't be too hard to track down the location of wherever the Ra'zac receive their supply."

Brom's eyes widened as he looked at Eragon before letting a big smile break through. "Genius!" he declared, much to everyone's surprise. "I wish I would have thought of this years ago- it would have saved me a lot of trouble."

"Teirm is a city based heavily on the shipping industry, right?" Albriech said. "Seems fate is on our side in choosing to go there."

"Aye," Brom agreed. "Even better, my old friend Jeod is a merchant, so getting ahold of the records shouldn't be too much of a problem for him."

"All right!" Natsu crowed. "Let's get a move on and track us down some monsters!"

"Now I'm all fired up," Wendy grinned.

* * *

 **Mirajane: Wait, I thought that Natsu and my little sister were a thing now. How come that wasn't touched on?**

 **Gajeel: Probably because Salamander forgot already.**

 **Gray: That wouldn't surprise me.**

 **Makarov: Now now, I'm sure Mataras has a plan in mind. Right?**

 **Mataras: Since when do I not?**

 **Levvy: See? We've got nothing to worry about.**

 **Gajeel: I couldn't care less about your stupid romance crap- where's the fighting?!**

 **Mataras: All in due time, Blacksteel. All in due time.**


	15. Fairy Tales

**A/N: Hello, everybody. I apologize for the late update, but I have been unable to write because my computer broke... Then I got pretty sick with the flu... Anyways, this is the results of my labor for now... It'll be a bit slow, but there is some important character development to be had. Enjoy!**

* * *

Fairy Tales

The group travelled on to reach Teirm without any further trouble, but that also meant that Natsu and Brom pushed their students harder in their studies of combat and magic. The younger travelers were now at a point where they would spar with their practice swords with one another while Brom selected one of them for his lessons. During this time, they began to practice using real swords that were blunted with magic to become accustomed to the weight of real blades in combat.

Natsu was also beginning to acquire bruises from his combats sessions with Baldor and Albriech, though the two brothers were still more often on the receiving end of his punches than not. Albriech's magic was making him faster and faster all the time while Baldor tended to use the shadows to evade his opponent's strikes before counterattacking when his enemy was getting worn down. Wendy's time was spent practicing the spells that Grendina had left for her through Gertrude while Lisanna began practicing aerial combat with Saphira to keep both their reflexes sharp.

One day while they were riding, Eragon started sniffing at the air, much to the amusement of the present dragon slayers. "Is Eragon trying to acquire our sense of smell?" Baldor chuckled.

"No, I simply smell something strange in the air is all," the other boy replied, slightly affronted. "I'm surprised you didn't pick up on it first, actually."

"Huh?" Albriech said as he concentrated at sniffing at the air around them. Then his confusion cleared and he said, "Ah, it's the salt in the air you're smelling."

"We're a few days from Teirm, then," Brom said. "It's based right next to the sea."

"I've never seen the ocean before," Ergon said as he turned to Brom. "What is it like?"

"The sea…" the old man said with a strangely nostalgic smile. "The sea is emotion incarnate. It loves, it hates, it weeps… Elves are so enthralled by its majesty and power and beauty that they made a poem about it that takes three days to properly recite."

"Three days?!" Natsu blanched.

"I don't think his poor little brain could take that much," Lisanna giggled as she poked at her boyfriend's cheek. Wendy also laughed at Natsu's potential discomfort while everyone else simply smiled at the three friends.

A few days later, they finally could see Teirm from the part of the Spine they were travelling through. Here, Brom stopped them for a brief talk. "We'll be going into the city in pairs and a group of three," he announced. "Eragon and I will enter first to establish contact with Jeod so that we can figure out a way to let you in discreetly. Once we've gotten inside, Wendy will travel with Albriech and Baldor, posing as their younger sister. Lisanna and Natsu will be the last to come in- I don't care what disguise you use, just come up with one that can suit your needs. And above all, don't reveal your names to anyone- people have an annoying habit of remembering things they shouldn't."

"What names should we use?" Baldor asked.

Brom thought about this for a moment before he said, "I shall be Neal while Eragon travels as Evan. The name Wendy is fairly nondescript, but she'll-"

"I'll be Carla," Wendy said with a bright smile.

A little confused, but not perturbed, Brom said, "Very well, Carla it is. Baldor and Albriech will be Paul and Michael while Lisanna and Natsu travel as Amy and Rory. Any objections?"

"Yeah!" Natsu protested. "If Wendy gets to be Carla, then I wanna be Happy!"

"Glad to hear that no one objects," Brom said as if he hadn't heard. "All of you, make camp here on the edge of the Spine. Eragon or I will contact you when it is safe to come in. And lastly-" he turned to look back at the Earthlanders. "Keep your hoods up in public. Your hair will only attract trouble."

"I'll attract his hair some trouble," Natsu grumbled sourly. "Dad always said my hair was awesome…" Brom and Eragon ignored him as they exited the forest and headed for Teirm.

* * *

"So… any ideas of what to do while we wait, besides fighting?" Albriech asked after a few minutes of quiet. Natsu, who had been about to suggest just that, sat back down with a disappointed look on his face.

"I'm working on a list of spells you can send to Roran for his Dragon Slayer Magic," Wendy said as she glanced up from the notes she was writing down. "It's based off of what I've seen him do, and what others have told me about, so it won't be perfect, but it's better than nothing."

"Aw, that's so sweet of you," Lisanna said as she looked at the paper and feather pen Wendy was using to write down her notes. "I'm sure he'll appreciate it."

"Yeah!" Natsu grinned excitedly. "I can't wait to throw down with those iron scales again!"

"Uh… You do know that Roran isn't Gajeel, right, Natsu?" Wendy asked with a slight sheen pf sweat on her brow.

"I know that!" the boy said impatiently. "But if he's got Iron Dragon Magic, he's gotta be tough!"

"Hmm…" Baldor mused. "Roran never really struck me as the fighting type. Who knows, though? Perhaps he'll find a bit of steel in him once he knows how to use his magic properly. Perhaps these enchantments have clouded my mind, but for some reason, I look forward to our nightly sparring sessions."

"Then why can't we fight right now?!" Natsu complained.

" _Because_ ," Baldor said slowly. "Someone on the city watch is probably going to notice when a square mile of the forest suddenly disappears off face of the earth."

"Yeah, we should really do something else," Lisanna agreed readily. "How about a story to pass the time?"

"What kind of story?" Albriech asked.

"Well, how about a story about a little boy whose best friend was a flying, talking cat?" Lisanna grinned while she looked over at Natsu, who was grumbling to himself. Baldor and Albriech exchanged glances before nodding at the white-haired girl.

"Sounds interesting," Baldor said as he shifted his seat to become more comfortable. "All right, let's have at it."

"Okay," Lisanna smiled. "Once upon a time, there was a little boy that had a knack for getting into trouble. His guild mates were usually picking on him in some way or another, and although he tried to hide it behind an attitude of toughness, he was very sad inside. He spent a lot of time alone, without anyone to play with.

"One day, a little girl felt sorry for him and decided to make friends with the little boy. They quickly became fast friends, but everyone else continued to make fun of him and hurt his feelings. So when he ran off to be alone again for a while, he ended up having a very strange encounter with an egg. As he was walking along, a white and blue egg dropped down from a tree and hit him right on the head.

"The boy saw that the egg was covered in strange markings, not to mention nearly his own size, and he assumed it was a dragon egg. He took it back to his guild to show it off, and then he tried to hatch it."

"How did he do that?" Baldor asked curiously.

"He tried to get the 'dragon' to come out by lighting a fire under it," Lisanna giggled. "Fortunately, his friend was there to stop him, and properly show him how to take care of the egg. A few days went by, and they cared for the egg together, almost like a mother and a father. And they were happy." Lisanna smiled to herself at the memory of times gone by.

"Then, finally, the egg hatched while the two friends were in the guild hall. But instead of a dragon, out popped a flying blue cat! Everyone was so surprised, that they had no idea what to do with it. But the boy and the girl quickly realized that weird or not, the little guy needed a name. So when they thought of all the happy times that they had spent together, they decided on the little cat's name: Happy.

"Happy became an even more central part of their little family, and everyone in the guild started to take a better liking to the boy because they saw how much he cared for his two friends. It seemed like everything was going to be good forever." Lisanna paused, and the two boys wondered at it.

"What happened?" Baldor asked.

"Years passed," Natsu said, surprising everyone. He was looking up at the sky with his nose in his scarf, but they could hear him well enough. "The three friends went a lot of adventures together, and they grew closer together. But then, one day the girl went on a mission with her brother and sister. She told him to look after Happy while she was gone, because that's what a father does. And while they were gone, her brother fell under a curse- and he killed his little sister before the spell was broken."

Baldor and Albriech's eyes widened in shock at the terrible turn to the story. Natsu continued, still not looking at them. "The boy and his cat were left behind. The boy built a grave for his friend, and promised to always keep her in his memory. And he always looked after his friend the cat, because that's what he promised his friend right before she disappeared from his life. And that's the story of how a boy and a cat became best friends."

"That's…" Albriech said. "That's one of the saddest stories I've ever heard."

"Aye," Baldor said somberly. "I hope that the boy was able to be happy again."

"I was," Natsu said as he rose up and walked into the forest.

"He-?" Albriech looked over at Lisanna, who simply grinned back at him. "Natsu was the boy in the story?!"

"Uh-huh," she nodded.

Baldor watched him go with surprise, saying, "I… I never would have imagined that he had been through something so awful."

"People with the biggest smile are often the ones hiding the most pain," Lisanna said as she watched Natsu walk into the tree line. "And Natsu has the biggest smile I know."

"I just hope his story has a happy ending," Albriech commented.

"Me too," Lisanna sighed as she stood up to go after her best friend. "Me too."

As she left, Baldor turned to Wendy, who was still concentrating on her notes. "Hey, Wendy?" he asked. "When she turned to look at him, he said, "How powerful is Natsu, really?"

"I don't know," she replied honestly.

"You mean, he's never told you?" Albriech asked.

"No, I mean, I don't think Natsu even knows how strong he is," Wendy explained as she put down her notes. "Every time he fights someone, he just seems to be strong enough to take them down. It's almost like he can increase his power in response to his opponents'."

"So he has no limit, then?" Baldor frowned. "Is that normal for dragon slayers?"

"No, I think it's just Natsu," Wendy grinned. "And it's not that he doesn't have a limit- remember how he lost to the Ra'zac?" When the boys nodded, she continued on to say, "Well, next time he fights the Ra'zac, I'm pretty sure it won't be any fun for them."

* * *

 **Gajeel: Ominous... I like it.**

 **Levy: You really wanna see them fight again, don't you?**

 **Gajeel: Fights are the spice of life, small fry.**

 **Levy: What'd I say about calling me that?!**

 **Gajeel: Ow! Again with the purse?!**

 **Lucy: At least you didn't get hit by her library collection.**

 **Gray: Hey, are we fighting?**

 **Erza: Gray, behave yourself!**

 **Gray: No way, I want a chance to throw down with Gajeel!**

 **Makarov: Oh dear... Mira, make mine morning dose a double! I have a feeling I'm going to need it...**


	16. Secrets

**A/N: Yo! It's been another month, so I figured I owed you all an update! Again, there is no physical action, but we will get to see some more character bonding, this time especially between Eragon and the Dragon Slayers. Hope you enjoy, please be sure to review!**

* * *

Secrets

It was the next day when Eragon contacted the group camped out in the forest that it was safe to enter the city. According to the information he sent via telepathy, Brom had succeeded in finding his old friend, who was willing to help them find the source of the Seithr Oil. _But there's something else that we need to talk about in private,_ he added before he cut the connection.

"Huh," Baldor said as he rolled up his sleeping gear. "I wonder what he meant by that?"

"I get the feeling that either he doesn't trust this Jeod person, or he's found out something he doesn't want Brom to know about," Albriech sighed. "Either way, we'd better get into the city soon. We don't want to miss out on any of the excitement."

"What's so exciting about tracking stuff through books?" Natsu grumbled. "I just want the Ra'zac within range of my magic, then I'll start having fun." He grinned at the thought of the monsters frying in his flames.

"Come on, Natsu," Lisanna said as she rolled up her gear. "If we can figure out where the Ra'zac went, we can find them that much faster- maybe even take them by surprise."

"Screw taking 'em by surprise!" he protested. "I wanna fight 'em head-on!"

"Yes, look how well that turned out last time," Baldor said while rolling his eyes. "You were out for nearly two days, and that was with Wendy at your side most of the time. Face it Natsu, you're not strong enough for the Ra'zac. Not yet anyway."

"Say that to my face!" Natsu yelled as he slammed his head into Baldor's, who immediately shoved back with his own neck.

"I said you couldn't beat a Ra'zac if it let you win!" he shot back.

"That's it!" Natsu growled as he tackled Baldor into the dirt, where they started exchanging blows while rolling around.

"You want a piece of me?" Baldor growled.

"I'll break into pieces!" Natsu shouted back.

"Where's Erza when you need her?" Lisanna sighed while shaking her head.

"I've got this," Albriech said confidently. " _White Dragon TALON!_ " His holy magic smacked both Natsu and Baldor apart and paralyzed them instantly. "Both of you, quit it!" he snapped. "We have more important things to do that play in the dirt, so get packed and moving!"

"But he started it!" Natsu complained.

"Kinda beside the point, Natsu…" Wendy grinned as she used a new spell, called Raise, to remove the magic circles that had been placed on the two boys.

* * *

They entered the city without incident, even making it past the guards without raising suspicion. The group that entered first, Wendy Baldor, and Albriech, waited for Natsu and Lisanna at the nearest tavern. They all made sure to go by the names that Brom had assigned them, and even Natsu gave no audible complaint while using the name Rory.

"Now, where is Jeod's house?" Albriech wondered aloud.

"Eragon didn't say…" Lisanna said with a frown. "Hey Natsu, can you sniff them out?"

"Nah, there's too many smells for me to track 'em," Natsu frowned. "I'd need a fresh scent to pick up on 'em."

"Well, that's disappointing," Baldor sighed. "I tried earlier, but I couldn't pick up anything either. I was hoping Natsu or Wendy might be able to do it since they have more practice."

"I guess we could ask around?" Wendy suggested.

"We'd only end up attracting attention to Jeod," Albriech said with a shake of his head. "Eragon and Brom would've been asking about him yesterday, and we have no idea who they asked. If we end up asking the same people, they might get curious about the seven strangers visiting him, and we don't want that."

"Or…" Lisanna said. "We can just ask Eragon." When everyone looked at her blankly, she pointed down the street at a familiar figure who was wandering aimlessly through the area.

"Yo!" Natsu said as he walked towards the boy while waving at him. "You forgot to tell us where to go!"

"I did?" Eragon said blankly. "Sorry, then."

"Whatcha doing out here?" Wendy asked, glad to see him. "I thought you would be with Mister Brom right now."

"That Mister Neal," he reminded her with a wink, though he kept his voice down. "And he and Jeod are at the castle today. He left me a message saying I could do pretty much whatever I wanted since he wouldn't be back until the evening."

"Cool," Natsu grinned. "Let's go eat lunch- I'm starving."

"We can do that back at Jeod's home," Eragon said. "Come on, it's this way."

"Hey, wait," Baldor said as they started walking. "What was it that you wanted to tell us about earlier?"

"I'll explain that once we're indoors," Eragon replied over his shoulder. "It's not something to talk about in the streets."

"Rrgh…" Natsu growled, the vein in his forehead starting to bulge out. In a flash of impulse, Lisanna reached up and kissed him on the cheek, instantly freezing his hotheaded temper, and causing him to look at her in surprise. She blushed a deep red and looked down at the ground, too embarrassed to meet his gaze. "Huh?" he said, dumbfounded.

"Well, it calmed you down…" she said sheepishly. "Sorry if I surprised you."

"No, it's not a bad surprise," he said as he touched his face. "Just didn't see it coming." Lisanna was the shade of a ripe tomato, and she hoped that the hood on her cloak would hide her blush.

* * *

They reached Jeod's house quickly enough with Eragon leading the way. He knocked on the door three times, and a portly butler greeted them at the door, his expression unreadable. He bowed slightly as they entered the house, and he offered to take their cloaks once they were all indoors. Eragon nodded his approval and the three Earthlanders shed their garments and handed them to the butler.

If their bizarre hair colors bothered or surprised the man, he gave no indication of it. He then reached up to take Natsu's scarf, but the boy grabbed his hand before he could take it. "This stays with me," he said sharply.

"As you wish," the man nodded, withdrawing his hand. "If you so wish, I can have lunch brought to you in the study at your convenience."

"That would be appreciated," Eragon nodded. "But, erm… Is Lady Helen using the study at the moment? I don't want to disturb her."

For the first time since their meeting, Eragon detected a faint gleam of amusement in the butler's normally calm expression. "She is visiting her father today, so she will not be here for the afternoon," he replied. "The study is open to you at all times by order of Master Jeod."

"Thank you," Eragon nodded. "Then I think we will have lunch in there, if it's all right."

"Of course," the butler nodded. "I will tell the chefs to prepare a meal."

Eragon nodded and turned to go, but then a thought struck him. "Sir, if you could, make the meal especially large…"

The butler raised an eyebrow, but nodded at the instruction. "As you wish, Master Evan," he replied. Then he walked away to carry out his orders.

"Why'd you tell him to make an extra-big meal?" Wendy asked.

"Natsu said he was hungry," Eragon said with a grin tugging at the corners of his mouth.

* * *

When they were all seated in the study, Eragon broached the subject they were all eager to hear. "Brom has been keeping more secrets than I ever thought," he said. "I used my magic to eavesdrop on him and Jeod when they sent me out of the room yesterday. They talked about several things that struck me as suspicious, including the Varden and a possible traitor within their higher ranks, the dwarves' race, a place called Tronjheim, and a queen. Brom also talked about Saphira to Jeod, which he shouldn't have done without asking my permission."

"That is pretty presumptuous…" Albriech frowned.

"What's wrong with a queen, though?" Wendy asked. "Doesn't the king have a queen?"

"Not as far as the public knows," Baldor said. "He could be married in secret, but I doubt that, for political reasons. So who is this queen that Brom mentioned?"

"I thought perhaps a Surdan queen?" Eragon suggested, but Albriech shook his head.

"Their king isn't married, that much I know," he said.

"How do you know that?" Lisanna asked.

"Some of the trader women were talking about it," the blond son of Horst grinned. "It's amazing what they know about foreign politics and other affairs."

"Forget the queen," Baldor said as he waved it aside. "I want to know what this is about a traitor in the ranks of the Varden."

"Someone betrayed a garden?" Natsu asked blankly.

"No, the _Varden_ ," Albriech sighed, annoyed. "They're the rebel alliance that defies the empire. They were founded shortly after Galbatorix rose to power, though no one's sure exactly who started them up. One thing is for certain though, if there is a traitor in their higher-ups, the chances of defeating the king are substantially lower."

"Aye," Baldor nodded gravely. "But there's not much of anything we can do about that, so let's move on."

"Agreed," Eragon nodded. "I want to know how Brom knows all of this, though. Also, when Jeod suggested taking me to this Tronjheim place, Brom objected strongly, saying that it could be dangerous because everyone would try to influence me. I don't understand what kind of place this would be that Brom's friend would want me to go there, but Brom wouldn't. Saphira says that we should still trust him for now, but once we leave Teirm, we should try to get some straight answers from him."

"Since when does Brom hand out his secrets because you asked him to?" Albriech sniggered.

"In all seriousness, though…" Baldor said with a frown. "I can understand why Brom would want to keep you away from any political maneuvering."

"Why?" Eragon asked eagerly.

"Because you're the last free Rider, Eragon," Albriech said, following his brother's line of thinking almost instantly. "Anyone that could somehow gain influence over you would become as powerful as Galbatorix in the eyes of the public. And you're too important to get involved in petty political squabbles."

"But I'm no one special," Eragon protested.

"The last free dragon in all of Alagaesia chose you to be her Rider," Wendy said solemnly, speaking for the first time since the meeting started. "That makes you pretty special. Even more than that, the idea that you represent to the people of this land is one of hope and freedom."

"You're the last hope for dragonkin," Albriech said. "If we could destroy Galbatorix and his dragon with our magic, only you and Saphira would be left as a reminder to the legacy of the Dragon Riders. That's something not to be taken lightly."

"I know, I know!" Eragon growled. "I just have so many questions, and the one person that could give me answers seems determined to keep me in the dark!"

"Eragon," Natsu said, looking his friend in the eye. "There's no way we're gonna let you go through this alone. Even if we never find all the answers, we'll be there beside you."

"Thanks, Natsu," Eragon grinned slightly, his body relaxing. "That does make me feel a little better." Lisanna smiled at the Fire Wizard while Wendy smiled encouragingly at Eragon.

"Was there anything else you wanted to talk about?" Baldor asked.

"Actually, yes…" Eragon frowned. "When we came here, Jeod looked like he had seen a ghost when Brom greeted him. I found out that Brom ha had almost no contact outside of Carvahall in almost twenty years. He let his own friend think that he was dead for the better part of two decades."

"So?" Natsu asked.

"So… what was so important that Brom left everything behind to stay in Palancar Valley?" Eragon asked. To that, no one had an answer.

* * *

 **Max: Geez, Natsu never changes, does he? He'll take any opportunity to fight to fight anyone.**

 **Lucy: You said it.**

 **Gray: Flame-brained lunatic.**

 **Mataras: A flame-brained lunatic that always manages to beat the bad guys when it counts.**

 **Erza: That's still no excuse for fighting his comrades.**

 **Mataras: Says the one that always used to fight with Mira over the most trivial of matters.**

 **Mira: You know, it's been a while since I had a good fight...**

 **Mataras: Hey, I was just making an example! No fighting this segment!**

 **Gajeel: Screw that noise! Titania, let's go!**

 **Erza: If you insist... RAAH!**

 **Makarov: Mataras! Control your own characters!**

 **Mataras: They're your guild!**

 **Makarov: Wait! I have an idea!**

 **Mataras: Unison raid?**

 **Makarov: Yup.**

 **Mataras/Makarov: One... Two...**

 **Lucy: No, not again!**

 **Mataras/Makarov: _D_ _ragon Law._**

 **Fairy Tail: AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!**


	17. Fortunes Told

**A/N: Okay guys, just a bit of a heads-up, the following chapter that takes place has some things in it that occur very differently than in the original story, so I just want to give people fair warning so that I don't get hate messages about character inconsistencies. Now, that being said, I think you'll all like this chapter anyway, so please- go have fun!**

* * *

Fortunes Told

After lunch, Brom and Jeod were still not back, so Eragon offered to take the group on a walk through the city to kill some time. Since they had nothing better to do, they all agreed, and set out at once.

They were many interesting sights to see in the city, some of its layouts reminding Wendy and Natsu of Magnolia, back home in Fiore. Natsu was interested in the various foods that people were selling for the day, despite the fact that he had eaten only recently. Wendy and Lisanna were fascinated by the different clothing shops, of which there were many. Since Teirm was a city largely dependent upon trade and tourism, their wares came from all over Alagaesia. Baldor and Albriech were drawn to the tool shops and forges in the city, their keen eyes capable of telling which wares might be useful, and which ones would be liable to break quickly.

While they were in public, Natsu, Wendy, and Lisanna kept their hoods up, which attracted a few odd glances, but no one made a deal out of it, just as Brom had predicted. However, as they day went on, Eragon noticed a new problem. "Erm, Albriech? Baldor?" he said as he looked at the two brothers closely. "We may have a new issue…"

"What is it?" Albriech asked with concern. Checking himself and his brother to make sure that none of their magic was leaking on accident again, he found nothing.

"Your eyes," Eragon said as he pointed at their faces. "Look at each other- they've changed color." The two quickly did as he asked, alarmed to see that he was right. Both boys had been born with dark brown eyes like their father, but now they had changed dramatically. Baldor's eyes were dark red like blood, and Albriech's had changed to become a deep blue.

Natsu and Wendy noticed the two brothers beginning to panic, so the Sky Dragon moved quickly to comfort them. "Don't worry, guys, this is normal," she said with a calming grin. Speaking in a lowered tone, she added, "Your body will continue to change a little bit while your powers continue to develop."

"How much more will we change?" Baldor asked, still seeming worried.

"You'll get a lot stronger without really even working out, but it does help if you do it anyways," Natsu grinned.

"Your canines will become a little longer than most people's," Wendy elaborated before opening her mouth a bit to show that her teeth were indeed unusually sharp, though not unattractively so. It was just enough to be different.

"But you and Natsu have normal eye colors," Albriech frowned. "Why is that?"

"Have you seen their hair?" Lisanna giggled. "They weren't born with those styles."

"Oh…" the two brothers realized.

"Do you want to head back?" Eragon offered.

"Yes, I think that would be best," Baldor nodded, still obviously rattled at the fact that his body was going to be altered in ways beyond a normal teenager's due to their powers.

"Actually, there is _one_ more thing we should- actually, never mind," Natsu shook his head. "Forget it."

"What is it?" Albriech demanded. "What aren't you telling us?"

"I'll tell you later," Natsu replied, shaking his head again. "Trust me, this is one you don't want to talk about out here." The others looked askance at Natsu. The fact that he was taking something so seriously must have meant that it was pretty grim. Even Wendy had no idea what he had in mind to talk about. There weren't any other physical effects to being a dragon slayer that she knew of, so what could he want to talk about?

* * *

When they reached Jeod's house, Eragon paused at the building right next to it. "What's up, man?" Natsu asked him as he peered in the windows, which were covered in green and brown. "Something wrong?"

"No, I'm just curious, is all," he replied. Looking up, he pointed at a wooden sign faded with age. "This is clearly a shop, but it's nowhere near the market district. Why is it out her, I wonder?"

"Wanna go look inside?" Lisanna suggested. "I'm kind of curious now, too."

"It's got all kinds of different smells coming from in there," Wendy said as she peeked in another one of the windows. The other dragon slayers took up the cue and started sniffing at the windows, each of them now interested in the place as well.

"Let's check it out," Albriech nodded. "I'm intrigued now." One by one, they filed in after Eragon. They were immediately drawn to the vast collection of plants and bizarre-looking items that seemed like they belonged in a museum, not a common shop. They came in colors and shapes of all kinds, no two alike in any way. As for people, there appeared to be no one in the room.

"This is…" Lisanna began.

"Not what we expected," Baldor finished for her.

"Mrrow…" a low voice yowled from a dark corner. Everyone turned to look at where the noise had come from to see a pair of glowing red eyes.

" _Eek!_ " Wendy squealed, leaping right behind Natsu and staying behind him while peeking around his back.

"What is that thing?" Baldor asked, even as his hand began to emanate shadow magic.

"Hold on," Eragon said as he snatched up a wooden rod. The eyes blinked once, then moved so that their owner could be seen in the light filtering in from one of the windows. It was a large black cat, easily bigger than an exceed, with shaggy fur and two fangs that overlapped its lower lip.

When it made not hostile moves, Eragon said, "Okay, I'm going to try and use my mind to make it understand that we mean it no harm."

" _There's no need for that_ ," a voice sad in all of their minds.

"Saphira?" Wendy asked, looking around. "Is that her?"

"I thought she would be out of range right now," Baldor frowned.

"I thoughts so, too," Eragon frowned as he clenched the staff tighter.

" _I'd put that back if I were you,_ " the voice said.

"Stop playing games Saphira," Eragon snapped. Suddenly, he stiffened and gasped as the staff he was holding exploded with a burst of electricity. He collapsed after the shock, shaking as the electricity sent his muscles into spasms.

" _I told you,_ " the voice chuckled as the cat jumped down onto Eragon's chest. " _Next time, pay attention to what you're being told instead of focusing so much on who is speaking._ "

"You're the one that's talking!" Lisanna exclaimed with surprise.

"Cool!" Natsu laughed. "A talking cat!"

"D-Does that mean it's an exceed?" Wendy asked, still nervous of the red eyes.

The large cat swung its gaze to look up at Natsu and Wendy, blinking once again. " _I have never heard of an exceed,_ " it said. " _Strange- it's been a long time since a word in any language was made foreign to me… But to correct your mistake, I am a werecat. There aren't many of us, but I would have thought that you would have heard of us._ "

"A werecat?!" Baldor exclaimed. "You actually exist?"

" _Obviously,_ " the black creature said, its tail flicking with annoyance. " _Just because you are not aware of something does not mean it does not exist. Take you lot, for example. I did not know that you existed before you came in here and ruined my nap, but that does not mean that you did not exist before that moment._ "

"Uh…?" Natsu cocked his head at the werecat, confused. Lisanna hid a smile at his expression, while everyone else continued to stare at the creature with curiosity and a bit of fear.

It looked down at Eragon, who froze as it regarded him curiously. " _You're not very bright for a Dragon Rider, are you?_ " it sniffed. " _I'd put that staff back before it shocks you._ " And it leapt off of him to begin plodding around the store aimlessly.

It took the rider a second, but he got the mythical being's hint and put the rod back where he had found it. "What is that thing?" he asked the cat aloud, even as Wendy moved to heal his arm, which was slightly burnt from the shock.

" _A common and boring artifact, unlike myself,_ " the cat replied.

"What's your name, little guy?" Lisanna asked as she knelt in front of it and reached out to pet the black fur on its mane. It responded by swiping at her hand, just missing her palm by a hair's breadth and hissing, its mane rising with a growl in its throat. The girl scrambled backwards, frightened, but it made no more hostile moves.

" _Names be powerful things,_ " it replied calmly, its mental voice showing none of the viciousness that its claws had displayed. " _And I am no ordinary house pet, either. But as for what you can call me for now, the name Solembum will do._ "

"Hey!" Natsu snapped as he moved with startling speed to grab the tomcat by the mane and hoist him up off the ground. Fire blazed to life in his other hand, and he growled to Solembum directly, "Don't even think about hurting Lisanna- or I'll turn you into a pile of ash, little kitty."

The werecat's eyes widened with a combination of anger and surprise. " _How are you doing that?_ " he demanded. " _I've never seen the use of magic without use of the ancient language. Who are you, strange boy? Tell me before I claw your eyes out!_ " His last words were laced with open hostility, which brought a grin to Natsu's face.

"I'm a Dragon Slayer from the Fairy Tail guild," he replied proudly. "Normally I like talking cats, but you're gettin' on my nerves. So gimme a good reason why I shouldn't drop-kick you into next week."

Solembum's ears flattened, and he let out a rich, menacing growl in response. " _Hands off, human,_ " he ordered. " _I've gutted people for less than that._ "

"What is going on here?" a new voice demanded. Everyone turned to see a young lady with curly blond hair standing between some potted plants, a small frown on her face. "I'd appreciate it if you put down Solembum this instant," she said sharply. Something in the woman's gaze reminded Natsu of Erza, and he complied immediately, dropping the werecat where he stood.

"S-Sorry ma'am!" he said with a quick bow.

"No problem," she said as she flashed him a quick smile. Natsu straightened, but remained wary of the woman. If she could give him a glare like Erza's, who knew what else she could be capable of?

"Now, did you come in here to buy anything, or just to harass my friend?" she asked as she walked up to them. "Oh, and my name is Angela, by the way."

"Hi, Miss Angela," Wendy said with a slight bow. "We didn't mean to make trouble. We just came in to look around."

"Hmm, you are rather interesting people," she replied as she looked them up and down. "Solembum talks to you, and I heard something about a Dragon Slayer…?" She eyed them with one eyebrow raised.

"Damn it, Natsu!" Albriech snapped. "You couldn't keep it down, could you?!"

"Hey, the cat said he already knew Eragon was a rider!" Natsu protested. "I thought it was okay!"

"How does that make sense?!" Baldor shouted.

"Boys, boy!" Angela said sharply. "Let us get back to the matter at hand."

"Sorry about them, ma'am," Lisanna apologized. "They get sidetracked kind of easy…"

"Well, then perhaps something to grab their attention, then?" Angela suggested. "How about tell you all your fortunes?"

"Huh?" Eragon asked, surprised.

"I only offer this to people that Solembum talks to," she explained. "Actually, he's only ever talked to two people before you lot… He's never addressed a group before. So if I'm honest, I'm a little curious to see what your fortunes hold, myself."

"But…" Eragon said awkwardly while Natsu, Baldor, and Albriech all began to pummel one another in the background. "We don't have any money."

"Oh no, like I said, I do this whenever Solembum talks to people," Angela grinned. "I don't do this for money. Hold on- I'll be right back." As soon as she disappeared into a back room, Eragon turned to look down and see Natsu gripping Baldor's neck in a headlock, while Albriech was punching him in the back, telling him to let go.

"They never used to be so rowdy, "Eragon said with a frown as he thought of what Horst would say if he could see this.

"Another effect of dragon slayer magic?" Wendy sighed. "Boys just want to fight all the time."

"Not female dragon slayers?" Lisanna asked.

Wendy shrugged in response. "I haven't ever really liked fighting, so maybe it is a guy thing," she answered.

"Here they are," Angela said as she ran back up to the front room. She was sweating a bit as she clutched at small leather bundle that held objects of an unknown origin. "It's been so long since I used these, I almost forgot where they were."

"What are they?" Natsu asked from the ground, his nose twitching at the scent coming from the sack. "They smell kinda familiar…"

"That smells like an old dragon," Wendy realized. "What's in that bag?"

"You two really are something, aren't you?" Angela grinned. "These…" she knelt down and spilled out the contents, which turned out to be several ivory objects of varying size and shape. "…are the knucklebones of a dragon. Don't ask me where I got them- it's a tale I won't tell."

The Dragon Slayers were in shock at the sight of the bones, now carved with strange and alien runes that made no sense to any of them. Eragon, however, seemed to be the most affected by the sight of the artifacts. He touched them softly, almost as if afraid of breaking them.

"These bones hold true power, unlike most methods of predicting one's future," Angela said quietly, noting how the bones seemed to enthrall the young rider. "They will not lie, no matter what."

"Who else has been offered this?" Eragon finally asked.

"A young woman many years ago, and a blind beggar," Angela replied, tossing her long curls. "The man never gave his name, but I believe the woman called herself Selena… Yes, that was it. Ah, and what a bleak future she had…"

"Selena?" Eragon repeated, his eyes watering. "Did you say 'Selena?"

"Aye," Angela nodded. "What of it?"

"Selena…" Eragon swallowed hard. "Selena was my mother's name."

"Was it?" Angela cocked her head curiously. "I never made any predictions about her bearing children, but I never was able to predict her _not_ having them, either. Even the future will only yield so much to those that attempt to understand it."

"Are you alright, Eragon?" Albriech asked as he shook the young man's shoulder. "Do we need to leave?"

"Beware," Angela said, her bright eyes flashing dangerously. "Knowing your future does not necessarily guarantee that you will have a happy life, just as it was with Selena. And I do not know exactly what details I will be able to read of your individual futures when I attempt to read the bones, should you decide that is what you want. I've never cast them for a group before, but if that is your wish, so I shall make it."

For a moment, no one spoke. Then, Eragon swallowed once more and said, "If my mother could bear to have her fortune told, then so can I. I cannot speak for everyone else, but I will hear what the bones have to say about my future."

"We're with you," Baldor said as he sat beside the Rider. "As the new protectors of this land, we cannot ignore our destinies, so knowing whatever we can about them would be most helpful."

"Agreed," Albriech nodded as he too, sat down beside Eragon.

Wendy, Natsu, and Lisanna exchanged a look before they also sat down with the others. "We're with ya until the end, buddy," Natsu grinned. "And that means for stuff like this, too."

"Thank you," Eragon sighed. Then he straightened and looked Angela in the eyes. "Cast the bones for us," he said solemnly.

"Very well," she said as she gathered the items together into her cupped hands. "Protectors of this land, hmm?" she murmured. "This should prove to be very interesting…"

She took a deep breath, then cried, " _Wyrda!_ " she cast the bones onto the floor, and the teenagers all widened their eyes as they recognized a word from the Ancient Language, and a burst of magic power that emanated from both the woman and the bones themselves.

Eragon shivered slightly- Angela had not lied, this was a true fortunetelling. But for good or ill? The answer eluded him while the blond woman studied the bones intensely, sweat beginning to drip from her brow while she hunched over, trying to get an answer out of the artifacts.

Finally, she leaned back and let out a small gasp as she wiped sweat from her brow. She reached for a wineskin and drank a bit before she said, "That… That was the hardest reading I've ever hard to do. You six truly are a puzzle… But I was able to get a few answers out of your fates, both intertwined and individual."

She pointed at Eragon and said, "Infinity or long life," she said heavily. "This is the first time I've ever seen the bones predict this, but since you're a rider, I suppose you already knew that, no?" When Eragon nodded that he did, she shrugged and said, "Well, there are a few other things in here for you… Here, we see an epic romance in your future." She pointed at a pair of bones that intersected. "Whether it will end well or poorly, I cannot tell, but I _can_ say that she is of noble heritage, wise, and beautiful beyond compare."

The boy's face burned at the thought of such an event in his life, but he did not speak. Seeing that he was ready to continue, Angela said, "There are many paths that lie before you, young rider, many more than are offered to others. This is a great gift, this freedom, but it could prove to be more binding than chains. All of them are filled with bloodshed and conflict, so beware, for only one path will lead you to peace and happiness."

Eragon looked clearly disturbed by these revelations, but once he had swallowed to clear his throat again, he said in a raspy voice, "Is there anything else?"

"There are three more things I can tell you, all of which you will likely not take well," Angela warned. When Eragon gestured for her to continue, she said, "Very well. There are two terrible omens that are converging upon you. One lies in a death that rapidly approaches… and the other is a betrayal- one that will come from within your own family."

"Roran would never betray me!" Eragon said angrily, forcing Albriech and Baldor to restrain him.

"You heard what we did, Eragon," the older son of Horst said quietly. "She used words of power- which means that somehow, in some way, this will come to pass."

"Who knows?" Wendy said mildly, trying to comfort her friend. "Maybe he'll be blackmailed into betraying us? From what I know, he wouldn't hurt Eragon willingly."

"I do not know Roran like you do," Angela said calmly. "I can only tell you what the bones say."

"Is there anything else for Eragon?" Lisanna asked the other woman.

"Yes," Angela nodded. "The bones say this about your destiny- and this applies to all of you here." When they all leaned forward in anticipation, she said, "You will all leave Alagaesia, and never return." Natsu, Lisanna, and Wendy felt a surge of hope at this- maybe they would be able to get home someday after all! But their friends had a completely different reaction.

"Never?" Baldor repeated, dumbstruck. "But… this is our home!"

"Why would we ever want to leave?" Albriech demanded.

"As I said before, this is the hardest reading I've ever done," Angela said as she made a placating gesture with her hands. "But neither the bones nor I have lied to you. What has been laid out will come to pass, though I cannot say how or why. It is beyond my power."

"What else can you tell us, then?" Wendy asked. She noticed that Natsu was being unusually quiet during the whole exchange, but she chose not to comment on it and risk triggering his eccentric tendencies.

"Not very much," Angela admitted. "But what I can tell is mostly a mix of good and bad."

"More bad news?" Lisanna asked fearfully.

"Yes," Angela nodded gravely. "I will begin with that, so that perhaps the light may bring you some comfort."

"Please do so," Wendy nodded.

"You two," Angela said as she pointed at Horst's sons, "will lose your family's inheritance. But in its place await power and adulation such as no one in your family has ever known."

"Father… Is he going to disown us?" Baldor asked, eyes wide.

"I doubt that," Albriech frowned heavily. "But… I hope the forge is all right…"

"Next, we have you, child," Angela said with a slight smile to Wendy. "It seems that fortune favors you. You will be adored by many that you meet, many that you do not, and when the end comes, you will be surrounded by the ones you love most."

"Wow…" Wendy said with a slight smile. "That is kinda nice, actually."

"Yes, truly, I've never seen the bones fall in a more favorable fashion before," Angela said. Then she turned to Lisanna. "With you, my dear, I'm afraid things become a bit more complicated. I will stop now if you so wish it."

"N-No," she shook her head. "Everyone else has been brave enough to hear their fortunes. So I will, too."

"As you wish," Angela nodded. "Then here it is: you will one day be forced to make the choice between preserving your own life or the life of the one that you love the most." Lisanna's blue eyes flashed over to Natsu involuntarily to see that his mouth was set in a grim line. When they returned to Angela's, the fortuneteller said, "But take heart- here the bones say that in the time before your choice is made, you will be granted the deepest desire of your heart, the one that has lay within your soul ever since you were a child. I know this pattern, because I remember seeing it was one of the few bright spots I could see in Selena's future."

"The desire of my heart…?" Lisanna repeated, her eyes wide. "Does that mean-"

"As I keep telling all of you, I don't know the details," Angela said, smiling sadly. "What that I could tell you, but alas, the future guards its secrets jealously."

"And what about me?" Natsu suddenly said, his eyebrows lowered. "What do those bones say about my future?"

"For you, they say… nothing," Angela replied solemnly. "None of the bones fell into a recognizable pattern for you, Natsu. Whatever your fate, it seems to be hidden, even from my magic. This has never happened before, not to me…"

"Aw, that's _bull_!" he shouted angrily, prompting Wendy to grab onto his arm before he started flailing and shouting again. "Throw 'em again! This is so not fair!"

Looking at the expectant faces around her, Angela sighed heavily and said, "That is all I can say from these. I am sorry that I could not tell you- wait…" She glared closely at a trio of bones before she leaned back with a puzzled look on her face.

"What is it?" Eragon asked her, curious even though his fortune had clearly shaken him.

"This pattern…" she muttered. "It makes no sense, but…"

"What does it say?" Albriech asked.

"I… I think it is saying that in the wake of the death I mentioned earlier, there will be a… reunion? I think this symbol means reunion…" She hesitated before she finished, "In the wake of the ill omen, some of you will be reunited with kin that you have not seen in some time…" Looking up at everyone's expectant faces, she shrugged and said, "These symbols have never been seen together, so I have to make an educated guess."

She laughed a bit tiredly. "What I wouldn't give to see how your fates turn out," she mused. "A new Rider… after all this time… and a Dragon Slayer? Whatever that means… All with fortunes that I could barely understand? Yes, I'm very curious indeed."

"Seems like we don't have much in our future but blood," Baldor said sourly. Lisanna shivered, the words concerning her fated choice echoing in her mind.

"But remember this, young one," Angela said patiently. "For everything that I was able to read, there are thousands more that I couldn't. Much of your future is still yours to discover."

"I-" Baldor paused, then subsided. "Thank you, ma'am."

"You are most welcome," Angela said tiredly. "You are all welcome back here, anytime."

"Thanks for the chat, lady," Natsu said as he stood up with a frown on his face. Lisanna clung to his arm nervously, and he gripped one of her slender limbs gently as they walked out. "We'll be going now."

" _Before you leave,_ " Solembum's voice stopped them all. " _Know these things… When you need weapons, go look beneath the roots of the Menoa Tree. And when all is lost, and your own powers seem insufficient, go to the Rock of Kuthian and speak your names to open the Vault of Souls._ " They all looked around the room, but the werecat was nowhere to be seen.

Angela seemed to know what had happened, for she said, "Whatever he just told you, keep it to yourselves. It was for you, and you alone." Confused, but too frightened to ask her anything else, the group left the small building and went to Jeod's home.

* * *

 **Makarov: My, my... Those were some fairly ominous fortunes, indeed.**

 **Mataras: Hehe, don't you know? The darker things look, the brighter Natsu's flames will be.**

 **Makarov: That is true... By the way, do you think we overdid it a bit last chapter?**

 **Mataras: Perhaps- but this is Fairy Tail. You lot always go overboard.**

 **Makarov: I can't argue with you there. However, there is one more thing I wanted to ask you about...**

 **Mataras: Oh?**

 **Makarov: What was it that Natsu was going to talk to Baldor and Albriech about?**

 **Mataras: That will be answered next chapter, old man. Later!**


	18. Learning

**A/N: Hello everyone, thank you for joining me today! In honor of America's birthday, today I will be releasing two chapters- one for this story, and one for my SAO x Star Wars crossover, Star Sword II. I hope you all enjoy both stories, and I look forward to continuing to write for a long time to come!**

 **P.S. This chapter features a _slightly_ OOC Natsu. Slightly.**

* * *

Learning

"So, how went the meeting with Brand?" Eragon asked as the group of youngsters were ushered into Jeod's office.

"Terrible!" Brom growled as he slapped a book shut. "I never thought I'd meet an honest politician- now that I have, I think I prefer them when they're greedy bastards."

"They won't let you in to see the records, eh?" Albriech snorted.

"No," Brom snapped shortly. "He even refused bribes! Substantial ones, too…"

"So let's march up to this guy and beat the information that we want out of him!" Natsu grinned as he cracked his knuckles.

"Not so fast, flame-for-brains," Brom said sternly. "Brand probably doesn't even know where- possibly even what- the Seithr Oil is, or where it came from."

"So?!" the young Dragon Slayer demanded. "If ya pound on something hard enough, usually the rest fixes itself!"

Brom looked over at Lisanna blandly and asked, "Does he think that's how you solve everything?"

"To his credit, it usually works for some reason," the white-haired girl shrugged.

"Brom, since we can't get the local bureaucrat to let us take a look at the records, how are we going to find the Ra'zac's lair?" Baldor asked. In response, a slow, wicked grin crawled across Brom's face, which caused Jeod to groan in distress.

"I know that look," he complained. "It's the one that got us into trouble in the first place."

"A mild exaggeration," Brom said as he pulled another book down from a shelf. "But not entirely untrue. Still, what I have in mind should work with all of us working together. I assume all of you can read?" The question was aimed at the Earthlanders, who nodded together, but Eragon misunderstood and wound up shaking his head in a negative gesture.

"I can't read," he said, shamefaced.

"What?" Brom asked, looking askance at his student. "Garrow never taught you how to read or write?"

"No," Eragon replied, looking just as surprised as Brom. "Wait, you mean he knows?"

"Of course he does," the old man scowled. "The old fool probably considers it an unnecessary luxury. No matter, I'll just have to teach you how."

"You will?" Eragon asked, looking both excited and apprehensive. Lisanna understood why he would be nervous- he was already learning so much at such a rapid pace, would he be able to absorb any more new subjects?

 _He's just lucky Erza isn't going to be the one teaching him his letters,_ she thought, fighting back a smile. _Poor Natsu barely survived her regime._

At the same time, Natsu was thinking, _Thank whatever gods there are that I learned how to read from Erza! This Brom guy would just kill me if I made him mad one more time!_

"In just one week, I will have you literate, and you will help us track down the Ra'zac," Brom nodded.

"So what happens in a week?" Albriech asked.

"Brom turned to Natsu and said, "I'm still working out some details, but… I think Natsu will like the plan."

"Oh yeah?" Natsu shot him a challenging grin. "Why's that?"

"How are you with boats?"

Natsu's face immediately became downcast. "I hate going on those…" he groaned. "I get sick just thinkin' about it… No… You can't make me…" He curled up on the floor, weakened by the thought of stepping foot on a wooden deck.

"I wasn't going to ask you to get on one," Brom said mildly. "You don't even have to touch one. But if you want to leave destroying half the ships in the harbor to Baldor or Albriech, by all means, you can come up to the tower with the rest of us."

Natsu immediately shot to his feet and asked, "Where're the boats at again?"

"Brom, what _are_ you planning?" Jeod looked legitimately concerned now, Lisanna thought.

"Let's just say that we're going to be giving Brand a nasty surprise."

* * *

Over the course of the next week, Eragon's learning intensified under Brom with the addition of becoming literate. In the mornings, the old man would sit with Eragon and teach him how to read and write. While this was happening, Natsu would teach the boys how to use unarmed combat, forcing them to rely more and more on their instincts instead of rational thought whenever they got into a brawl. If they had spare time, they would all practice their magics behind locked doors and closed curtains, thought this more applied to Eragon than the Dragon Slayers, due to their incredibly destructive powers. In the evenings, they would all join together to practice swordplay under Brom's eye.

Eragon was the best of the young fighters with the blade, but Albriech and Baldor weren't far behind him in skill. Natsu _technically_ won the most fights, but that was usually because he abandoned the sticks they used for practice in favor of tackling his opponent whenever he got frustrated with the match. Nonetheless, their sparring matches came to be attended by children and their parents from both Jeod's staff and nearby estates, due to their skill and ferocity.

There was one thing that Natsu discussed with Albriech and Baldor behind a locked door, with no one else present, not even Wendy. It was the night before Brom's plan would be put into effect, and Eragon and the girls had gone outside the city to visit Saphira when he finally broached a subject that he seemed incredibly uncomfortable about.

"All right, Natsu, why all the secrecy?" Albriech rolled his eyes as Natsu double-checked that the door was locked and sniffed at the cracks to make sure no one was eavesdropping. "Are you going to tell us why you're afraid of vehicles?"

"It's likely some story about how he almost drowned as a child," Baldor sniggered.

"Hey!" Natsu growled sharply. "It's not my fault! It's a Dragon Slayer thing!"

The two brothers shared in a laugh while Natsu stared at them contemptuously for a moment before they realized he was serious. "Wait, you mean-?" Natsu nodded once, cutting of Baldor.

"Wait, why doesn't Wendy seem to be afraid of moving transportation?" Baldor asked. "Is it because of her healing magic?"

"No, it's cos she's a little kid," Natsu answered. "And she hasn't totally mastered her magic, either. Once you've hit a certain age and you know a certain amount of our magic, you get sick on moving stuff."

"Why?" Albriech asked.

"I dunno, cos dragons aren't supposed to ride on boats and carts!" Natsu steamed.

Albriech rolled his eyes and said, "Good to know, Natsu. Now that we all know your secret, can we go back to sword practice?"

"Hold on," Natsu said, his voice growing serious. That alone was enough to freeze the two brothers in their tracks. If Natsu was being serious about something, it meant that this _had_ to be important. Slowly, the two brothers turned to face their friend, who was eyeing them grimly. Once he had their attention, he said, "There's a reason I don't have Wendy with me for this- she's a little girl."

"Uh…?" Both Baldor and Albriech blanked, unsure of where this was going.

"See, Dad taught me that because I was learning Dragon Slayer Magic, certain things about me would change because I would become more like a dragon to use their magic," Natsu said.

"Yes, like your hair and teeth, and our eyes, right?" Baldor asked.

"Yeah," Natsu nodded. "Not to mention our lungs change so we can eat our matching element to recharge our magic. You've already got the nose, too."

"Is there another change we need to be aware of?" Albriech asked.

"Yeah, but this one's a little different," Natsu said as he hunched his shoulders and folded his arms. "It only… comes around one time a year."

"What?" Both brothers were confused in the extreme. "Natsu, you're speaking in riddles," Baldor said impatiently. "What are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about a dragon's mating season," Natsu said shortly.

The two brothers looked at him without blinking for a long, long moment. They would have laughed under any other circumstance, had he not been almost glaring at them right then and there. "You're… joking, right?" Albriech asked hopefully.

"Dad did a lot of things, but joking wasn't one of 'em," Natsu shook his head. "Part of our taking on dragon's magic means we gotta deal with mating season."

"Er… At um… What… age… does that start?" Baldor asked hesitantly.

"Dad said he didn't know for humans, but with dragons, it starts when they first grow their wings," Natsu replied.

"Aren't dragons born with wings?" Albriech inquired, remember Eragon's retelling of Saphira's hatching. At the time, he was sure that the rider had mentioned the blue dragon possessing wings.

"Not in my world," Natsu replied with the shake of his head. "Dad said once they start to mature, they start growing their wings, kinda like how people start growing hair on the face."

"Right…" Baldor shook his head. "Because wings and hair are- Never mind, go on. What does mating season mean for us?"

"Well, Dad said that we'll start smelling really nice to girls," Natsu shrugged. "Apparently it's so we can be more likeable to 'em or some crap like that."

"I'm guessing that there's more to it than that?" Baldor said dryly.

"The other things that'll happen are more to do with our magic," Natsu elaborated. "For starters, our bodies will absorb magic more easily, and we'll get even stronger during that time. And…" He lowered his voice a notch as he added, "We'll be able to turn on our dragon force at will."

"Dragon force?" Albriech repeated. The name sounded powerful, but he wasn't entirely sure of what it might even be.

"It's the hidden form of a Dragon Slayer," Natsu grinned. "It's a magic so unique to us, not even dragons can use it. It's basically an ability that allows us to surpass the power of the dragons that taught us our magic in the first place, and slay them."

"Hence the name 'Dragon Slayers', right?" Baldor asked.

"Wait, you said we could activate it at will during mating season," Albriech said. "What has to happen normally to activate this power?"

"Ya gotta eat a ton of magic energy," Natsu grinned. "Dad showed me how to do it when he was finishing my training- he made me eat so much fire, I thought I was gonna explode. Then I had to fight this crazy wizard this one time, and I managed to use it to beat him."

"This ability…" Albriech frowned. "Just how strong is it?"

"Strong enough to demolish a tower made outta solid magic power," Natsu grinned as he clenched his fist. "Nothing can stop you when you've got that power running through ya."

"Why does mating season allow us to trigger it on command, though?" Baldor asked.

"I dunno!" Natsu cried. "Dad said that basically everything my body would do during mating season was so that I could get a girlfriend!"

"All right, so let me summarize this…" Albriech said as he pinched the bridge of his nose to ward off a headache. "During mating season, we will begin to attract females because of our scent, and we will become impossibly powerful to impress them?"

"Yeah," Natsu nodded.

"How long does this last?" Baldor asked, almost dreading the answer.

"Huh?" Natsu looked at him blankly. "Uh…"

"Let me guess- you either forgot, or didn't ask your father?" Albriech said flatly.

"And you have no idea when it starts either, do you?" Baldor asked in the same tone.

"Never really seemed important," Natsu shrugged.

"Our bodies are going to change drastically, _and that's not important?!_ " Albriech roared.

"Hey, you're lucky I told you at all!" Natsu shot back, slamming his skull against Albriech's, who began to shove back.

"Damn right we're lucky you can remember anything, you fire-breathing ass!" the blond boy growled.

"The hell'd you call me?!" Natsu and Albriech went down on the ground, punching and kicking one another while Baldor looked on with dull eyes.

"You would think that I would try to stop them…" he muttered as he willed his body to become shadow, a new technique he'd been developing. _But I know better than that!_ And just like a puff of smoke, he vanished through a crack in the wall.

* * *

Later that night when they were all gathered in the office to plan the theft of the shipment records, Natsu and Albriech were wrapped in a bandages and slings, though they refused to say why, and Baldor seemed even quieter than normal. Lisanna and Wendy could pretty well guess that they had been fighting, but they just attributed it to Natsu's propensity for fighting.

"So what's the plan, Mister Brom?" Wendy asked.

"Have any of you seen a magic show?" the old man asked. When the Earthlanders looked at him blankly, he muttered, "Right, sorry. The point I was trying to make is that magic- that doesn't involve actually using spells- is all about misdirection. Making the onlookers pay attention to one part of the show, making them look away from where the real trick is occurring." To demonstrate, he showed them a simple card trick that involved having a double of a certain card up his sleeve to make onlookers think that he had shifted the card from one deck to another.

"Neat wristwork, but how does that help us?" Eragon frowned.

"While Brand is watching this card here," Brom said as waggled the first card, "we'll slip into the deck, so to speak."

"And what's our show card going to be?" Albriech asked.

"Assuming you and Natsu are up for the task, I was hoping that you two and Baldor would be able to cause a bit of a ruckus," Brom grinned. "I'm told that the Empire is shipping a great deal of goods through the harbor this week, and I would simply hate to see them reach their destination. Do you boys get what I'm saying?"

"Aye sir," Natsu grinned as a sharp light shone in his eyes. "And for once, I like the way you think."

"What will you be doing while we're playing decoy?" Baldor asked Brom.

"We're going to break into Brand's office and take what we need," Jeod said nervously. "Even if they can sink a few ships, we'll still have a number of guards to deal with, Brom. Are you sure forcing our way in is necessary?"

"Two things," Eragon said as he raised a hand to speak. "The first is, Brom has said that we'll only fight our way out if we need to. The second is that it won't be a couple of ships that are sunk, Sir Jeod."

When he paused to take a breath, Wendy grinned and said, "You should worry about whether or not they'll stop at the empire's ships."

"I'm betting that the harbor itself doesn't survive," Brom chuckled.

"My brother and I are not that destructive!" Albriech objected.

"Those bandages and the fact that you're a Dragon Slayer say otherwise," Lisanna grinned. "In any case, we have a plan. When do we do it?"

"Tomorrow morning," Brom declared, clapping his hands sharply. "Get plenty of rest tonight."

"Wait, one last thing," Baldor said with a frown. "What do we do if you get captured by the soldiers?"

"Why do you think I sent you three to burn the boats?" Brom grinned devilishly. "Assuming the soldiers can subdue me, Eragon, Lisanna, _and_ Wendy, I think we can assume that you'll rescue us, no?"

"Of course," Natsu grinned again, flashing the old man a thumbs-up. "Fairy Tail wizards never leave our friends behind if we can help it. Right, Wendy?"

"Yeah!" she smiled back. "I'm all fired up now!"

"Hey, that's my line!"

* * *

Later that evening, Lisanna was about to lie down to go to sleep when she heard a few sharp knocks at her window. Intrigued, she moved to open her window, surprised when Natsu leaped in through the window. "Heya," he grinned that devious grin of his. "Wanna come out with me for a bit?"

"Natsu!" she blushed furiously. "I'm in my pajamas already! I can't!"

"Why not?" he asked, cocking his head. "You wear less than that dress-thing when you transform half the time."

"That's just part of my takeover magic!" she blushed even harder. "I don't wear that stuff outside of my transformations!"

"Oh," he shrugged. "Well, I got somethin' to show ya." And with that, he scooped her up in his arms, ignoring her yelp of surprise and protest before leaping out of her window and onto the next roof. She held on tight to his lean, muscular frame as he continued jumping from roof to roof, higher and higher in the air.

"Natsu, where are we going?" she asked after a few rooftops had passed underneath them.

"Shh!" he hissed sharply. "Don't wake up the people tryin' to sleep!" She rolled her eyes at him, but smiled to herself and buried her head in the crook of his shoulder and closed her eyes, content.

Suddenly they stopped moving, and Natsu set her down gently. "Check it out," he whispered as she opened her eyes. When she did, her shining blue orbs registered several things at once. First, they were on the rooftop of one of the highest houses in Teirm. Second, they could see half the city beneath their feet. Third, there were fires lit as far as the eye could see, from homes to shops to the harbor, even on some boats still out at sea, coming into port. The skies above were clear, allowing the glow of the moon to wash the city in a white glow in addition to the brilliant stars that shone in the heavens.

"Oh, wow…" she gasped quietly. It was a beautiful sight.

"I love this view," she heard Natsu's grin as he stood beside her. "When Dad told me stories as a kid, he would light rocks on fire to make some of his characters move. Seeing the little lights down below reminded me of that."

"Natsu, this is wonderful," the white-haired girl said happily. "Thank you for showing me this…"

"I wanted to show you this before we left the city tomorrow… And I want you to know that I'd only share it with someone special," Natsu assured her as he moved beside her and took her hands in his. "And I know I don't say it enough, but… You're special to me, Lisanna. Always have been, always will be."

Her breath caught in her throat as tears spilled from her eyes and she smiled brightly at the boy she loved.

"I love you, Lisanna," he said, eyes completely serious. "I'll never forget how much it hurt when I thought I lost you… Or how great it was to see you with my own eyes again." He smiled at her and squeezed her hands gently.

Lisanna would have never guessed in a million years that Natsu knew anything about being romantic, but now it seemed that he had blown her expectations- again. He really was amazing, she thought. With that in mind, she reached up on her toes and kissed him, putting her arms around his neck and pulling him close her.

At first he seemed unsure of how to respond, but after a few seconds, he wrapped his own arms around her and tilted his head so that their lips could more easily mesh together in a tender embrace. Truly, it was a night that neither of them would ever forget. And in that moment, Lisanna knew beyond a shadow of a doubt, that Natsu Dragneel, son of Igneel, and fire wizard of Fairy Tail, loved her.

"I love you too, Natsu."

* * *

 **Levy: Aw! So there's the Nali moment you've been building up to!**

 **Mataras: Aye, and that's just the first- there are more to come. Sorry Nalu fans! (IRL, I ship them, but I felt like doing something a little different for this story).**

 **Gajeel: Are kiddin' me with this?! You call this a chapter?! Where's the fighting?!**

 **Gray: Were't you paying any attention, metalhead? The fighting comes next chapter!**

 **Gajeel: Wanna repeat that to my face, snow fairy?**

 **Gray: Matter of fact, I would, ya iron-hearted bastard!**

 **Gajeel: That wasn't even the same insult!**

 **Gray: Bring it!**

 **Gajeel: Glad to!**

 **Lucy: Why's Gray fighting Gajeel?I don't ever remember that happening before.**

 **Mataras: They both miss Natsu, so they're taking it out on each other.**

 **Lucy: Now it makes sense.**


	19. Abandoning Subtlety

**A/N: Happy First Birthday to the Inheritance of a Dragon Slayer! And thanks to everyone that has stuck with me so far! Special thanks to Mew Sakura the Cyniclon, my most consistent reviewer for this story!**

* * *

Abandoning Subtlety

"You've got an awful big grin on your face," Baldor said in a low voice to Natsu. "Have some nice dreams?"

"Nah," Natsu grinned brighter. "I can't wait to smash those stupid boats."

"Why do you hate transports so much?" Albriech asked as they walked towards the harbor. It was just after dawn, and the town would be rustling to life very soon. However, it was also light enough that the chances of them being stopped by town watch was very low. And even if they did, Natsu knew that they wouldn't stand a chance against three Dragon Slayers.

"You'll figure it out eventually," Natsu said to answer Albriech's question. "Right now, we just need to focus on taking out as many boats as we can to draw the guards away from the tower."

"Wow, he actually remembered the plan," Baldor said, mildly surprised.

"Hmph," Natsu snapped. "Shut up, Baldy."

"It's Baldor!"

"Both of you, stop it," Albriech said sternly. "We're almost there." The two younger boys stopped talking long enough to see that they were standing before the entrance to the harbor, where there were four sentries posted. _Perfect_ , the White Dragon Slayer thought. "Let's make some noise. Natsu- care to lead?"

"Heh- like ya have to ask," he grinned as he dashed forward.

"Halt in the name of the king!" one guard shouted at him. "Turn around or we will be forced to detain you!"

" _Shaddup!_ " Natsu screamed as he leaped high in the air. " _Fire Dragon ROAR!_ " A river of fire flooded from his mouth and bathed the men in heat and flame. Unfortunately, it also prevented Horst's sons from advancing into the harbor.

"And much to no one's surprise, he goes overboard," Albriech sighed. "How are we supposed to get through now?"

"I've got this," Baldor said as he put an arm across his brother's shoulders. Suddenly they were both enveloped in shadows and Albriech could not see or hear anything. However, he could feel himself moving, though not of his own will, a most disconcerting sensation. When it finally stopped, they were on the other side of the flames.

"What was that?!" Albriech gasped.

"I used my power to move you and I through the shadows," Baldor answered. "Sorry I didn't warn you before."

"Worry about it later," Albriech said as he pointed down the docks. "We've got company- and plenty of it." A squad of soldiers was running at them, shouting to call more of their allies to their aid. And they seemed plenty angry.

"Do you want to handle this, or shall I?" Baldor asked.

"No, I'll handle this lot," Albriech answered over his shoulder. "Remember, the old man said to target the empire's ships first." They had decided before hand to avoid using names as much as possible, just in case a survivor remembered who was involved.

"All right, are you sure?" Baldor asked as he began to melt back into the shadows.

"Positive, now go!" Albriech ordered. Once he was sure his brother was gone, he turned back to face the oncoming soldiers. "All right, let's give this a shot," he said as he set his feet in a wide stance and clasped his hands together.

"Kill him!" he heard the leader shout, and a grin broke out on his face.

"Nothing personal, gents!" he called out as brilliant light shone out from the cracks in his fingers. "But I can't let you stop us yet. _White Dragon HOLY RAY!_ " He thrust forward his cupped hands at the same time that he opened his palms outwards. Dozens of spears made entirely of light shot forth, stabbing into each man time and time again, killing them where they stood. As the last one toppled on the wooden dock, Albriech shook his head sadly.

"Like I said, nothing personal," he sighed. Then an arrow thudded right next to his leg, causing him to jerk back in surprise. He looked at where the shot had come from, mildly surprised by the fact that there were already archers up on the wall.

"All right, the gloves are coming off," he muttered. It was time to put all of his hard work and practice to use in earnest now. " _White Dragon ROAR!_ " A laser shot forth from his mouth to blast the wall beneath his enemies' feet to rubble, sending them all tumbling backwards either to serious injuries or death.

"I wonder how Natsu is holding up," he wondered as he looked back at the way he had come, then almost wished that he hadn't. Three ships were already up in flames, and a large section of the wall looked like a volcano had spontaneously erupted underneath it. "Of course," he groaned.

As if to taunt him, Natsu leaped on top of the rubble and started cackling at the top of his lungs. "Come and face the mighty lord Salamander, if ya got the guts!" he challenged the men that were charging towards him with halberds and spears in hand. Just as they got within range, He leaped up high in the air, and Albriech knew what was coming next.

"The flames of my right hand, and the flames of my left!" Natsu shouted. "Put 'em together and you get _Fire Dragon BRILLIANT FLAME!_ " A fiery cannonball launched from his hands and exploded, not only taking out the men trying to attack him, but another ship as well. And the whole while, Natsu was cackling like a madman.

"I hope Brom and Eragon get what they need out of this," Albriech said grimly as he eyed a smaller empire vessel. "Because I think Teirm may soon have a trade route issue."

* * *

Baldor took out two ships using the same method before he ran into some soldiers. He would fade into a shadow, will himself to the underside of the ship and pop up inside the vessel before putting several holes in it, causing it to flood with seawater. Then he slipped back up to safety by reverting to his shadow form and retreating to the docks before the ship sank too far.

Then came the soldiers. "I don't know how you lot are doing this," the leader of the squad growled. "But you're messing with the wrong ships, you hear?! The king'll have your 'eads for this!"

"He can't have our heads if he can't catch us," Baldor smirked as he faded into shadow. "Try as you might, you can't catch a shadow." Some of the men paled at the sight and made the sign to ward away evil, but that wouldn't save them from the Shadow Dragon Slayer. He popped up in and out of their morning shadows, slashing them with magic before diving into the next shade.

When he reached the last man, a shaking, pitiful excuse for a soldier, he sighed with mock pity and said, "I honestly don't know if this magic has been messing with my head, but… I must admit, having this much power after being helpless to fight the empire my entire life is… Well, thrilling. Or perhaps Natsu is just a bad influence." He chuckled even as the man tried to back away.

"Wh-Who are you people?!" he cried in fear.

"We're Alagaesia's fairy tale, come to life," Baldor answered as he took measured, unhurried steps towards the petrified man. "We're called Dragon Slayers- and we aim to do just that." He shot forward and grabbed the man by his mail before hoisting him in the air with one arm. Shadows began to creep into the body of the guard, forcing him to gag and choke.

"It'll all be over soo-" Baldor stopped talking as he heard a wet _scrunch_ , even as a burning pain began to emanate from his gut. He looked down to see that the soldier had drawn a knife while he hadn't been looking, and lodged it in his stomach. "Huh," he said as he dropped the gurgling man, who continued to writhe as the shadows ate at him. "That was… careless of me." And he dropped down beside his enemy, face already blank as he lost consciousness.

* * *

Albriech's eyes widened as he saw his brother go down. " _NO!_ " The violent scream was torn from his lips so ferociously that his voice broke. Fear for his brother flooded him- and anger.

Anger so ferocious, it seemed to roar within his head, demanding that he echo its cry for vengeance. _Baldor can't die!_ He raged. _He can't!_ The white-hot fury continued to mount as soldiers continued to pour into the harbor, intent on killing all three of them. _Do they not see what we can do to them?!_ His mind seethed. _Or does the empire just not care for the lives of its men?_

Either way, he was getting Baldor out now, even if he had to destroy the harbor to cover his escape. The rage inside was causing him to nearly black out from its ferocity, and he knew that he had to do something with it before his power ran wild and hurt innocent people. " _Salamander!_ " he roared, drawing the attention of the pink-haired boy easily.

The other Dragon Slayer's eyes widened as he sensed and incredible amount of magic power building up to an insane pressure where Albriech was standing. "Go for it!" he grinned. "Let it all out, man! Show these turkeys what a Dragon Slayer can do!"

"I aim to!" the blond boy growled. "Get my brother out of here, _now!_ "

Natsu took one look at the other boy, smelled the blood on him, and immediately dashed to scoop him up. "This one's my treat, got it?!" he shouted as he leaped atop of some rubble. "I'll get him help if you finish the job!"

"Do it!" Albriech shouted, even as the soldiers began to rush at him from every direction. "Come at me, all of you," he growled, hate in his indigo eyes. "I'll show you what happens when you harm one of Carvahall."

White light burst forth from his body so fiercely that it checked some of the soldiers like a physical blow, while others ended up stumbling into the water due to temporary blindness. " _Dragon Slayer Secret Art,_ " some heard him say. The words came to his mouth, almost unbidden. " _Divine NOVA!_ " The light withdrew into his fist, granting those watching some relief just long enough to watch him slam his right hand into the street. This was followed by an explosion so bright, cities days away would tell tales of the day a star appeared in the harbor of Teirm and destroyed every single one of its vessels.

* * *

Brom and the others- including Jeod- had successfully broken into the office where they were making copies of any records related to Seither Oil that they could find. Brom had bribed the guard on duty to ensure his silence before they had snuck into Lord Brand's office. They had since been going through book after book, trying to find any possible leads on the Ra'zac, with no obvious luck yet.

When a wave of light flashed through the room, blinding them for a moment, Brom cursed and growled, "What in the name of the Golden Age is going on?!"

"Bet I could tell you," Wendy said as she rubbed her eyes with a slight grin.

"Natsu and the boys probably went overboard," Lisanna giggled. "Seems like Albriech has taken quite well to his new magic."

" _Albriech_ did that?" Brom asked, pausing in his search for a moment. "Just how fast can a Dragon Slayer's abilities develop?! And to what extent do they reach?"

"I honestly couldn't tell you the answer to either one of those," Wendy shrugged. "Maybe it's just different for each person?"

"We need to go, now," Eragon said suddenly, bolting upright.

"What, why?" Brom asked.

"I eavesdropped on the guard you bribed to let us in before," Eragon said as he started putting back what he was going through. "He just told his replacement that we're in here."

"Damn!" Brom snarled. "No matter- we finish this, _now_." He jotted down a few quick notes before slamming a book shut and returning it to its proper place. "Good, now let's go." They all exited the room, Wendy and Lisanna keeping an eye out for the guards Eragon had predicted would come.

"If the boys did their job as well as we think they did…" Brom muttered before he used a spell to lock the door since he lacked a key, "I shouldn't think that there will be too many guards to deal with." Even as he was talking, Eragon stuffed the copies of parchment under his shirt so they would find nothing if they searched his satchel.

No sooner than he had than did two sentinels come around the corner, one of them shouting, "Oei! You! Back away!" Brom stepped back from the door so fast he could have been burned, his expression one of surprise.

"Why are you here?" the other asked while his partner checked the door.

"The boy left something here for his younger sister, and it's her birthday," Jeod said, sweat beading his neck. Eragon hung his head, shamefaced while Wendy pretended to look upset. "We simply came to retrieve the item."

"Hmm…" the second man frowned.

"It's locked, Gerald," the first guard said.

"All right then," the second man nodded. "Since it's locked, I suppose you're good to go. We're taking you out, and the boy had better not leave anything here again, ya hear?"

"Aye, sir," Eragon nodded.

"Good," Gerald nodded sharply. "C'mon, hop to it." And they proceeded to let them out of the tower under armed guard, the whole group tense as an instrument string the whole while. However, when they finally got out, the girls breathed huge sighs of relief while Eragon grinned and nearly leaped in the air from excitement.

Brom, however, glared at them all sternly and snapped, "Wait until we get to the house. You can celebrate there." So the three youngsters forced themselves to calm down, but they still wore grins all the way back to Jeod's home.

* * *

Those grins vanished as soon as they saw Baldor, bloodied on the floor in Natsu's arms. "What happened?!" Wendy cried.

"We made a mistake," Natsu said heavily. "I thought he and his brother would stick together, but I guess they thought they were good enough to fight on their own. At least Albriech was able to do that much."

"So he _was_ responsible for that flash of light?" Brom demanded while Wendy went to work on Baldor.

"Yeah," Natsu nodded. Under other circumstances, he would be smiling, proud of his new friend for what he had accomplished. "He used a Dragon Slayer Secret Art. Blew the whole harbor to hell with half the town's guards."

"Where is he?" Eragon asked.

"Outside," Natsu jerked his thumb at the back door. "He hasn't said much- I think he blames himself for Baldor getting hurt."

"Um, guys?" Wendy said fearfully. "I can't heal this- not on my own, anyway."

"But you have to!" Eragon burst out. "I'll never be able to face Horst if-"

"Calm down, boy," Brom said sharply. "Remember the words of power I've taught you? You can help her."

"I…" Eragon said heavily, staring at the still, pale face of his friend. "I don't know…"

"Please, Eragon," Wendy begged with tears in her eyes. "He needs both of us. I know we can do it if we combine our powers. Please!" She sniffled a bit before she said, "I owe him, and you do to. This happened because he wanted to help you."

Eragon's jaw locked, and his eyes shone with new determination. "You're right," he said as he knelt beside Baldor opposite of the little girl. "All right, tell me when."

"Now!" she cried as blue light poured from her hands and seeped into Baldor's open wound.

"Weise… Heil!" Eragon grunted as he reached for his own magic. Azure light similar to Wendy's flowed from his gedwey insignia, melding with hers and flowing into Baldor's body. Before their very eyes, the wound sealed itself and stopped weeping crimson tears. The young man groaned and opened his eyes slowly to see the relieved faces of his friends.

"What…?" he grunted.

"Take it easy," Wendy said quietly. "You took a pretty bad hit, but Eragon and I are gonna take good care of you."

"Okay," he said thickly, still disoriented. "Thanks…" And he fell back asleep, albeit more out of a need for rest than blood loss this time. Eragon sat back heavily, drained from the use of the magic, but a satisfied expression was on his face.

"I've never been able to do that before," he said heavily.

"You are growing up," Brom said while clasping the youth's shoulder. "Well done, Eragon." Before Eragon had completely registered what his mentor had said, the old man said, "Natsu, bring Albriech in here. We need to go through the documents we copied and figure out if all of this was worth it."

"I'll do it, Natsu," Lisanna said with a smile as she brushed past her boyfriend. "I know you wanna know what's going on with the Ra'zac more than I do."

"Thanks, Lisanna," he grinned as he gave her arm a gentle squeeze as she walked past. Brom raised his eyebrow at the sight, but did not comment on the matter. Instead, he helped Eragon to his feet, who was weak from the use of such unfamiliar magic. Natsu did the same for Wendy, who had no doubt provided more energy in the effort than Eragon had.

"Jeod, have your servants bring us some food, and quickly," Brom told his friend. "They'll be in better shape to help us if they're fed and rested."

"Of course," Jeod nodded. "I'll have it brought to the study like normal."

* * *

"Hey," Lisanna said as she approached Albriech, who was brooding against a wall in the stables. "Your brother's been healed."

"Wendy?" He asked without looking up from the ground.

"And Eragon, actually," she nodded. "We think we have what we need to catch the Ra'zac, or at least find out where they live."

"Good to hear it," he muttered.

Lisanna frowned. From what she had seen of Albriech she knew that he was the grimmer of the two siblings, but this was something else. "Are you alright?" she asked him as she stood a few feet away from him.

"No," he shook his head. "Did Natsu tell you how the battle ended?"

"Yes," Lisanna affirmed. "He said you used a Dragon Slayer Secret Art. He didn't come out and say it directly, but I could tell that he's very impressed with your progress."

"Well, it scares me," Albriech snapped.

"I guess I don't understand," Lisanna said after a moment. "What are you afraid of?"

"I lost my temper, which every boy does at some point in his life," Albriech said as he brought up his blue eyes to look at Lisanna directly. "In the past, all that would happen was a few angry words, maybe some bruises or a broken dish. But _now_?" He made a gesture in the general direction of the harbor. "I destroyed nearly every ship in this city, Lisanna. All with one blow." He made a fist and shook his head in despair. "The very thought that I could destroy anything that I come across is a frightening one, to say the least."

Lisanna was silent for a few moments before she decided to speak again. "I'm no Dragon Slayer," she said slowly. "But my magic isn't common, even where we come from. I know what it is to wonder what others will think of me because of my abilities, even from a young age… It is scary sometimes, but there is a way to cope with the fear, which in turn, helps control your magic."

"Oh?" Albriech asked, his voice losing some of its hostility. "And what is that?"

"Trust that there are people that will view you as a person, and not just your magic," Lisanna grinned. "Fairy Tail prides itself in treating all of its members as family. No matter who's the strongest or the weakest, no matter how much we've done wrong in the past, we all are part of the guild."

"How does that help me?" Albriech demanded. "I'm not part of Fairy Tail."

"So?" Lisanna shrugged. "You're a friend of Fairy Tail. And we never treat our friends any different if they mess up. Besides…" She had to hold back a laugh as she added, "In a way it's good that you finished the harbor before Natsu really got worked up. Otherwise, Teirm might have been halfway melted this morning."

Despite himself, Albriech couldn't help but chuckle a bit at that. "I suppose you're right," he finally nodded. Looking at Lisanna again, he said, "Thank you, Lisanna."

"Anything for a friend," she smiled again.

For a moment, he appeared to think deeply. Then he asked, "Lisanna… How _does_ one become a member of Fairy Tail?"

* * *

 **Makarov: Hmm? What's this about the boy joining Fairy Tail?**

 **Mataras: Don't worry about it, it's going to be an honorary member type of thing.**

 **Gray: Sounds good to me.**

 **Makarov: I suppose I can let it slide, since they have no other way to join... Very well, go ahead, Mataras.**

 **Mataras: Thank you. And once again, I'd like to thank everyone that has been reading this for the full year that it has been out- I look forward to seeing you all over the years to come, whether it be in this story or another!**


	20. Moving On

**A/N: Hey guys! Sorry this took so long again, life is crazy- eleven hours of a work a day cuts into my writing big time :P**

* * *

Moving On

"Okay, where did those beak-faced freaks go?" Natsu growled as the others finished opening their copies of the records and maps that they had taken from the governor's office.

"Patience, Natsu," Brom chided. "This will require a little more time."

"Hmph," the Dragon Slayer scowled as he plopped down in a chair.

"So, let's start with the places that the Seithr Oil has been shipped to over the last year," Jeod said as he used his spectacles to peer at one of the parchments. "We can ignore small towns, but not ports."

"Why is that?" Wendy asked.

"The Ra'zac would need to be stationed in a place where they could move quickly if the king gave them an assignment," Brom explained. "I think we should focus more on places with major trade routes- if they hid in a larger city, they would be less likely to be noticed by the locals."

"All right…" Jeod muttered as he peered at a lower section of the parchment. Then he switched over to a map and pointed at a city called Feinster, then another called Aroughs. "These two places have received a regular shipment of the oil once a year for the last four years," he explained. "Of the two, I think Feinster is more likely- it's more populated and has more trade going through it."

"What about this one?" Eragon said as he pointed at his own parchment. "This place… Dras-Leona I think? It's received numerous shipments for as long as these records have been going, but not in a regular pattern, as far as I can tell."

"What makes you thinks it's there?" Albriech asked him.

"Well, if I'm reading this right, it's had the most deliveries out of any of the places we recorded, not to mention, it would make sense that the Ra'zac would have it delivered on an as-needed basis, instead of on a regular schedule." He looked over at Brom. "Didn't you say that the stuff is hard to come by?"

"Incredibly so," Brom nodded. "I think the boy may be onto something… The king wouldn't just have the oil made up on a whim- he'd have to have a good reason to deliver it each time."

"Also, there's Helgrind," Jeod said as he scratched his wispy beard with a grimace.

"Ah, yes, the Black Gates," Brom said while also wearing a grim expression. "You're right, that would make Dras-Leona the perfect hiding place for the Ra'zac." The younger people in the room looked at the two men with concern- Brom didn't show worry very often, but he definitely bore traces of it now.

"Uh, Mister Brom?" Lisanna asked in a small voice. "What is Helgrind?"

"The home to a vile religion," he shook his head in disgust. "More like a cult, really. I'll tell you more later, but all you need to know right now is that they are not to be trifles with." Then a thought occurred to him and he grinned slightly as he looked over at Natsu. "Although, I must admit I am tempted to let Natsu loose on their damned cathedral…"

"Are we goin' to this place or not?" Natsu demanded. "Seems like there's too much talkin' going on!"

"Yes, given these circumstances, I think that we had best go there," Brom nodded. He turned to Jeod and said, "Thank you for everything, old friend. We couldn't have done this without you."

"It was a genuine pleasure," the scholar smiled back. "Will you be leaving tomorrow, then?"

"Aye," Brom nodded. "The sooner we get moving the better. But I think that these youngsters have earned themselves a good meal and a sold night's sleep. They've done well today." All of the magicians ducked their head with embarrassment- even Natsu. Brom didn't give out praise often, but it felt well-received by each of them.

* * *

The next morning, Brom gave a heartfelt farewell to Jeod before the teenagers said their own goodbyes. Helen was noticeably absent, but truth be told, not one of the travelers was upset about it in the slightest. While Brom was exchanging some final words with his old friend, Eragon spoke to the others with his thoughts, saying, _I'm going to confront Brom about his conversation with Jeod behind our backs once we're well on the road._

 _Okay, but be careful not to upset him too much,_ Wendy advised. _He might just shut down if you press him too hard._ They sensed an acknowledgement from the Rider before he cut the connection and Jeod shut the door to his home, signaling that it was time for them to depart.

They rode in a companionable silence for some time before Brom broke it by saying, "I would like to know something, Natsu."

"Huh?" the boy replied while looking over at him.

"I am curious about some of your abilities, and I was wondering if you would be willing to discuss them for a moment," Brom said mildly.

"Uh, sure," Natsu shrugged. "What's up?"

"According to you, Albriech destroyed most of the harbor on his own, with a single spell," Brom noted. "A spell like that would kill the majority of magicians in this world from the amount of energy required to cast it. And you have also said that the boys have yet to master their powers."

"Yeah," Natsu nodded. "What about it?"

"How strong will they become?" Brom asked bluntly.

"Why do you wanna know?" Natsu asked with his eyes narrowed. "You're not foolin' me old man. Ya wouldn't ask something like that unless you were plannin' something."

Brom raised an eyebrow in surprise- Natsu was clearly sharper than he had lead on. "Very well, I'll tell you," he nodded. "You've earned some answers at this point." The others turned to listen with rapt attention as their horses cantered down the road, eager to hear what Brom had to say.

"The dragons in this world are not all gone," Brom said, leading the others to widen their eyes and even eliciting some yelps of surprise. "There aren't many left, other than Saphira and Shruikan, the black dragon that serves Galbatorix. In fact there are only two- and they both in Galbatorix's possession as eggs."

"Two eggs?" Eragon repeated. "Wait, is that-"

"He used to have three," Brom nodded. "Twenty years ago, Saphira was rescued from Galbatorix's vault."

"Twenty years?" Baldor asked, confused. "But she only came to Eragon a few months ago. What was she doing in all that time?"

"Being ferried between the Varden and the elves," Brom said quietly. "The thief that stole her was supposed to get the other two eggs, but something went wrong in the process, and he only wound up with her egg. For reasons unknown, after he had it, he fled from both the Varden and the Empire."

"How do you know all of this?" Eragon demanded. "I know you talked to Jeod about Saphira without asking me- I don't appreciate that. And I also want to know how you know so much about dragons and magic."

Brom looked sharply over at the boy, a frown deepening on his face. "You eavesdropped on us."

"Just on the first day," Eragon replied shortly. "You owe me answers, Brom. If you're going to give out my secrets, how else am I supposed to trust you unless I know why?"

Brom's expression relaxed a bit, though the frown stayed. "You won't wait on this?" he asked.

"I cannot live my life in ignorance," Eragon said quietly.

"A noble goal," Brom nodded. "Very well, I will complete my tail as best as I can- bot know that some parts I cannot reveal, because they are not my secrets to give. I am bound by oaths in the Ancient Language never to repeat certain things unless the persons I have sworn them to release me from my oath."

"Very well," Eragon scowled. "Say what you can."

Brom nodded and marshalled his thoughts for a moment before he continued with his story. "As you may have suspected, I orchestrated the theft of the eggs. Jeod helped us by discovering a hidden passageway that would allow a thief to reach the chamber where the eggs were kept undetected. But as I said, he only got away with one.

"Morzan, first and last of the Forsworn, chased down Hefring, the man who had taken the egg, but he had an opponent in the race," Brom smirked.

"You?" Albriech guessed.

"Aye," Brom nodded. "I was quite the fighter back in my day, believe it or not. When we closed in on the thief, I found him with the body of the thief, and the egg in hand. I dueled him and his dragon, which I slew after a lengthy battle."

" _You_ killed his dragon?" Eragon asked with wide eyes.

"I did," Brom nodded. "Morzan was the next to be felled by my sword, after which I took Za'roc and Saphira's egg. I returned to the Varden to deliver the egg and negotiate a treaty with the elves."

"Why a treaty?" Lisanna asked. "I thought that both humans and elves hated Galbatorix."

"They do," Brom nodded. "But it was not a treaty for the war. No, it was for who would get the egg. See, both factions wanted the new rider to be from their own race, with neither side willing to give ground. So I stepped in."

"What'd you do?" Natsu grinned. "Pound 'em until they asked for mercy?"

"No, I used my head," Brom said dryly. "The egg would be ferried between the Varden and elves once a year to change hands to see if the egg would hatch for any children that interacted with it. When it did, I, a human well-versed in the ways of magic and dragons, would train the new rider for one year. After that, the elves, who have lived long enough to have known the riders themselves, would complete the new rider's training."

"Seems like our race got the short end of that stick," Albriech muttered.

"Perhaps, but it was that or open hostilities- something that would not have gone well for the Varden in any way," Brom replied. "All elves can use magic- not one of them can't. And they are not like us, no matter how similar our appearances. Even an elf that has been deprived of food and water for weeks can overpower a normal person with ease. And if they are healthy, even Eragon would be hard-pressed just to survive."

"What about us?" Wendy asked. "You seem like you think we might have a chance against an elf, Mister Brom."

"It is possible," Brom nodded. "Your magic is beyond anything I have seen in all my years- and as you've noticed I've been around for quite some time. Not to mention that your physical prowess is far above normal- even you, Wendy. Still you should hope that you never have to fight an elf- it would not be a pleasant experience."

"Noted," Eragon nodded. "You still haven't answered how you know so much about dragons, though."

"No, I haven't have I?" Brom said quietly. "Unfortunately, that is one part that I am to keep to myself."

"Hmph," Eragon snorted, but he seemed content with what he had learned for now.

"Okay old man, what about my question?" Natsu demanded. "Why do you wanna know how strong I really am?"

"Because…" Brom said in a lowered tone. "If you could get inside the place where Galbatorix keeps his eggs, it is possible that you would have enough power to escape alive. For anyone else it would be suicide."

"But…?" Nastu prompted.

"Allow me to put it this way," Brom said. "If you youngsters can defeat the Ra'zac and survive, I think it's a safe bet to assume that you could pull off a successful heist."

"But doesn't the king keep the eggs close to him?" Lisanna asked. "And I don't think we're strong enough to face him yet."

"Says who?!" Natsu demanded, seemingly insulted.

"Not always," Brom said with a devilish smile. "See, he wants the eggs to hatch as well. So…" He waited for someone to finish the thought.

"When the eggs are being moved to reach new candidates, you want to try and steal them," Albriech finished.

* * *

 **Gajeel: Man, I woulda been all over that plan to steal those eggs.**

 **Gray: Is that just because you're tired of sitting on the sidelines?**

 **Gajeel: You're stuck in the same boat as me!**

 **Lucy: We all are, Gajeel. I just think that some of us are actually capable of taking it easy once in a while. I mean sure I was mad before, but now, I realized it's kinda nice just being able to relax while Natsu and the others take care of the crazy stuff.**

 **Levy: Gotta feel bad for Wendy, though... Poor kid's gotta deal with a lot.**

 **Laxus: Eh, she's got Natsu with her. She'll be fine.**

 **Gray: wait, did I just hear you compliment Natsu?**

 **Laxus: One word about it to him when he gets back, and they'll never find your body.**


	21. Priorities

**A/N: Hey guys, is it okay if I give out a slight spoiler for this chapter? No? But it's a really cool thing!**

 **...Still no? Fine, just... read the chapter. Reviews are appreciated, please let me know what I could do better (other than updating more often, I really just don't have time like I used to).**

* * *

Priorities

"So, what do you think about Brom's idea?" Eragon asked Albriech as they strode through the forest that they had camped in for the night. "About stealing the dragon eggs from Galbatorix, I mean." It was morning, and the two of them were returning from a trip to get fresh river water to refill their cantinas.

The blond dragon slayer looked thoughtful for a moment as they returned to the empty campsite before he answered, "I suppose it might be possible… someday." When Eragon looked a question at him, he elaborated, "If you think about it, from what Brom has told us, not even Natsu would be able to defeat Galbatorix in combat. Not to mention Baldor and I are nowhere near the level of power that Natsu, or even Wendy possess."

"I suppose you're right about Natsu, but do you really think that Wendy is stronger than you and your brother?" Eragon asked dubiously.

"Without a doubt," Albriech replied. "From what you told me, she used her Dragon Force to disperse an entire storm shortly before Baldor and I joined the group."

"True," Eragon nodded. "But you also destroyed an entire harbor of ships with a single blow, no small feat. If I tried a spell like that, I would certainly die. To be honest, sometimes I wish I had your strength."

"We may be stronger in terms of raw power, but your magic is much more versatile than ours," Albriech pointed out. "Not to mention a dragon and a grand legacy to go with it."

Again, Eragon was forced to concede the point. He was about to voice his agreement, when something caught his eye. He leaped over a stone that was protruding from the ground to get closer look, but his toes caught the edge of the rock, and he landed on his wrist, which emitted an unpleasant _crack_ when it struck the earth. The youth immediately let out a string of curses and curled up in a ball while his companion rushed to his side.

"Eragon!" Albriech cried as he knelt beside the rider. "Are you all right?"

"No…" he grunted as he cradled his arm, agony twisting his face into a painful grimace. "My wrist is definitely broken."

"Damn!" Albriech cursed. "Can you contact Wendy and Saphira? We need to get you healed up."

"Yes," Eragon grunted. He went silent for a moment before he said, "They're on their way."

"What in the world were you trying to do in the first place?" Albriech demanded.

"There…" Eragon said as he pointed at a large, strange indentation in the soft ground. "Some kind of track, I think."

"Hmm…" Albriech mused as he got a closer look. Remembering that he had enhanced sense of smell, he took an experimental sniff before recoiling from the marking. "Gods of darkness, that is foul!" he growled.

"What…?" Eragon asked as he craned his neck to get a better look. Then his eyes widened and he said, "Forget my arm, we need to get out of here."

"Why?" Albriech asked.

"That's an urgal footprint, and it's fresh," Eragon grunted. "Those things never hunt alone, either."

"Eragon!" Wendy's voice called out as she and Saphira came crashing through the trees, the small girl in the saddle with Brom. "What happened?!" she asked as she and the old man got down.

"I did something stupid," Eragon grunted.

"Nothing too special," Brom grinned. "Why did you need Wendy to come here?"

"I broke my wrist," Eragon snapped, not in the mood for jokes. "I fell over when I spotted _that_." He pointed with his good hand at the print he had found as Wendy went to work on his wounded arm.

"He says it's a fresh urgal print," Albriech said. "It smells foul, so I'm not opposed to his observation."

Brom cursed and immediately went to put out the fire and saddle the horses. "Wendy, do whatever you can for his arm, but don't weaken yourself too badly," he ordered. "Albriech, help me pack up. Saphira, get the lovebirds and Baldor back here."

The blue dragon snorted at being told what to do, but she complied, contacting the others with her telepathy before saying, _"They will be here soon."_

"How soon?" Brom asked as he finished saddling Cadoc.

" _Soon,"_ Saphira replied shortly. Brom decided not to press the issue, given the circumstances. Instead, he focused on saddling Snowfire while Albriech did the same with Natsu's horse, Gray.

Not five minutes later, Natsu and the others had returned, and the party was ready to leave. "Eragon, ride Saphira. Wendy, go with them. The rest of you, mount up." They assembled into their usual pattern and rode out, with Saphira taking to the sky to keep a bird's-eye view on the party.

* * *

"Your wrist will still be sore for a while, but you should be okay to fight if you need to," Wendy said, struggling to be heard above the wind.

"Thank you!" Eragon shouted.

"I have a question," she said after a moment of relative quiet.

"What is it?" her companion asked.

"Why didn't the urgals attack us in our sleep?" Wendy asked. "They came pretty close to our camp, so why not attack us then?"

"We were all gone from the camp for some time!" Eragon answered as Saphira angled herself to ride a gust of wind. "I suppose it was just dumb luck that they missed us!"

"But if they didn't find us wherever they tried to follow us to, won't they come back?!" Wendy shouted back.

"Probably!" Eragon agreed. "And unfortunately, following the others won't be much of a problem for them- the horses make some pretty obvious tracks!"

"So why are we up here?!" Wendy asked.

"Brom wants you and me to stay safe, but I have a better idea," Eragon replied with a grin. "Think you have enough magic for a fight?"

"Maybe, but it depends on how many urgals there are," Wendy answered.

" _Eragon, this is foolhardy,"_ Saphira growled. _"You shouldn't pick a fight if we can avoid- Oh no."_

"What is it?!" Wendy asked.

"I'll bet I can guess," Eragon said. "Natsu is picking a fight with them!" He pointed down at the ground as Saphira swung back around to grant them a clear view of Natsu off of his horse, Albriech and Baldor by his side.

"Should we help them?!" Wendy asked.

" _Only if they appear to be overwhelmed,"_ Saphira answered. _"I won't risk injury to either of you. Besides, there only appear to be twelve urgals. Natsu could likely handle them on his own, but I suspect he wants to give the other two-legs a chance to fight as well."_

"Did I just hear you compliment Natsu?" Eragon asked, obviously trying not to laugh.

" _If he hears about this, I will tie you to my saddle and never let you down,"_ Saphira growled as she snorted a black plume of smoke.

* * *

Natsu and the other boys cracked their knuckles and grinned as they faced down twelve urgals. "What do you guys say? I'll take six, you each get three," Natsu said as one of them strode forward.

"Hardly seems fair," Albriech snorted. "But if it keeps you happy, I won't argue."

"I second that," Baldor agreed.

"Our master wishes to speak to you," the apparent leader said, his ability to speak the common tongue mildly surprising the three of them. "He offers his benevolent hand in friendship to you and your companions, due to your rumored power. He wishes to employ it for himself in order to further his vision for Alagaesia."

"Tell your master to go choke on his message," Natsu growled.

"With a personal rebuttal from the Fairy Tail guild," Albriech said as he turned to display a white mark of the guild sewn into his shirt's shoulder. He and Baldor has asked Wendy and Lisanna to mark their clothes with the guild's emblem since they had no way to magically imbed the mark in their skin at that time. His brother's was on the same shoulder, but it was pitch-black in color.

"Then the hand of friendship has been transformed into the fist of war!" the urgal captain roared as he proceeded to heft his war club and order his followers to charge.

"Heh," Natsu grinned. "Good thing the old man let me put out the campfire. " _Fire Dragon TALON!_ " he shot forward, his flaming foot connecting solidly with the brute's head, breaking his neck instantly.

Baldor moved to flank the monsters on the left, shadows gathering in his right hand as he growled, " _Shadow Dragon SLASH!_ " He batted aside the club that was aimed to cave in his ribs and followed it up by blasting back his opponent with shadow magic.

Albriech ducked a spear thrust aimed at his throat while casting a blast of light that floored his attacker. " _White Dragon HOLY RAY!_ " Spears of light shot forth from his hands and skewered his enemy, finishing the urgal off.

"Not bad!" Natsu laughed as he incinerated three more of the enemies with a Brilliant Flame spell. "But let's see you guys kick up a notch! Show 'em what Fairy Tail does when people pick a fight with us!"

"Brother, let us roar," Albriech said as he glared at the horned monsters with hate. " _White Dragon…_ "

" _Shadow Dragon…_ " Baldor added.

" _Fire Dragon…_ " Natsu joined in, taking a massive breath.

" _ROOOOOOOAR!_ " All three breath attacks hit simultaneously, illuminating the forest for miles, and incinerating half of a square mile. As the smoke billowed from the explosion, Brom and the others rode up, Lisanna looking worried, and Brom seeming furious.

Out of the smoke came three figures, covered in soot, but smiling all the same. "And that's how Fairy Tail makes people pay," Natsu chuckled.

"If you keep doing that, Galbatorix is going to get interested enough to come after us himself!" Brom growled.

"Bring him on," Natsu snorted. "He relies on a dragon's power, and we're called Dragon Slayers for a reason."

"But he's not a dragon himself, Natsu," Wendy pointed out. "Not to mention, remember what mister Brom said? His power is somehow increasing every year, and we don't know how."

"So?" Natsu grinned. "Our magic does the same- the more we use it, the stronger we get. If we train hard enough, we can kick him to the curb, no problem."

"You're too arrogant for your own good, boy," Brom growled. "Life has a way of humiliating us so that we are forced to recognize our own mortality. I shudder to think of what will be needed to bring you to your knees." With that, he wheeled his horse around and set Snowfire to walk at a steady canter.

"What's his problem?" Natsu asked to no one in particular.

"Your stubbornness, Natsu," Albriech replied. "He's got a point, you know. So far we've been lucky, but sooner or later, Galbatorix _will_ hear of our exploits. Do you know what you will do when that day comes?"

"Nah, I hadn't thought that far ahead," Natsu shrugged.

" _Then listen well, because I will tell you what your options will be,_ " Saphira said in their minds. " _You will either be forced to join the Varden, and fight until the day you see Galbatorix fall along with his black dragon, or you will have to join him to avoid his wrath in battle. I do not, and never will consent to the second choice, and if any of you choose to side with him to save yourselves, know that I will show no mercy if we meet in combat._ "

They were all shocked at her vehemence, but they all realized- even Natsu- that she was right. If they killed two of the king's most favored servants, the only way to avoid his anger would be to seek sanctuary with the Varden, or pledge their power to Galbatorix and serve as his slaves for the rest of their lives.

"I think I can speak for all of us when I say that Fairy Tail will never bow to that crazy king," Natsu said as he cracked his knuckles. "Before we came here, we beat the snot out of someone just like him, and I plan to the same in this world."

"Yeah!" Wendy grinned. "We'll make sure that he won't be able to enslave any more dragons ever again."

"Fighting the empire all the time is not what I wanted when I set out from Carvahall, but…" Eragon sighed. "You all know as well as I do that if we must choose, I shall cast my fate with the Varden."

"Aye," Baldor nodded. "We have the power to change Alagaesia. I say that we do it for the right reasons."

"I agree," Albriech added.

"I think we've definitely got some good new recruits in our guild," Lisanna giggled. "We're all getting fired up now."

"That's my line!" Natsu complained.

* * *

 **Makarov: Hmm... Those new boys certainly are warming up to their new abilities. I wonder if they'll match Natsu someday.**

 **Mataras: Maybe, but I doubt it- after all, it _is_ Natsu we're talking about.**

 **Erza: Yes, he is a one-of-a-kind.**

 **Gray: So I'm kinda confused. Are they getting close to the Ra'zac or is this just gonna be one long road trip?**

 **Mataras: An excellent question. To answer it, all I will say is that they will reach Dras-Leona by next chapter. Whether o not they will find the Ra'zac has yet to determined.**

 **Gajeel: Stop keeping us in suspense, ya crazy writer!**

 **Mataras: Bite me.**

 **Mira: Oh dear. Looks like another fight is about to break out. I suppose I can announce the title of the next chapter, though.  
Next time on Inheritance of a Dragon Slayer: Demons of Helgrind.**


	22. Nearing the Goal

**A/N: You know, having a job with a solid hour's break makes so much of a difference in being able to get writing done! Enjoy yth efruits of my labor, and please be sure to ready the omake afterwards to make note of an important announcement!**

* * *

Nearing the Goal

Over the course of the time that it took to get to Dras-Leona, Eragon finally mastered the art of swordplay to Brom's satisfaction. Due to his wrist being sprained, which Wendy insisted should be left to heal on its own, Eragon was forced to learn to fight with his left hand as well as his right.

So it was only surprising when he defeated Brom in a sparring match over the dinner campfire. Albriech and Baldor had been dumbstruck, Natsu dropped his dinner plate, Lisanna and Wendy could only gape, and Saphira looked on with pride.

"Well done," Brom panted, sweat dripping from his brow as he sat down heavily. "There is nothing more I can teach you about the sword."

"Nothing?" Eragon asked, both surprised and curious.

"Only three people that I have ever known could have beaten me with a sword, Morzan being one of those, and none of them could have done it with their left hand," Brom replied. He looked around at the others with a tired smile and said, "Learn from him, if you can. You all still have a ways to go in your martial arts training, but now at least you'll have more than one teacher."

"You-" Eragon was shocked. "You want me to help you teach them about swordplay?"

"If nothing else, you can spar against the others to keep their skills sharp, which will give us all more time to practice," Brom shrugged. "You've done well, Eragon."

"Thank you, Brom," Eragon said with a bow, sweat gleaming on his own forehead. But he was smiling with pride, a rare sight on him these days.

"Think he'd give Erza run for her money if she fought him?" Natsu whispered to Lisanna.

"Maybe," she giggled. "But only if she used her swords, and not any offensive spells."

"Huh, guess you're right," he scowled. "Man…"

"What's wrong?" she asked him.

"I was just thinking that if he got stronger than Erza, and I beat him then, I'd be the strongest wizard in Fairy Tail," the pink-haired boy grumbled. "This sucks."

"Well, maybe you should go practice with him so you can be ready for when you fight Erza again," she said, knowing exactly how to put him in a better mood.

"Oh yeah, good idea!" he smiled as he stood up and grabbed his own sword from where it lay amongst his belongings. Each of the teenagers had been given a blade from Jeod's storeroom- they weren't very fancy, but each one of them had a weapon that they could use well.

Natsu had a hand-and-a-half sword, Lisanna, Albriech, and Baldor each had one-handed blades, and Wendy had a short sword that was just under three feet long. Brom still used Za'roc in battle whenever Eragon wasn't practicing with it, and the young rider mostly used his bow in a fight.

"You and me, buddy!" Natsu said as he brought his blade up in a ready position.

"Not now, Natsu," Eragon shook his head. "I'm tired, and I think I've had enough fighting for one night."

"There's no such thing as enough training!" Natsu protested.

"Go on, Eragon," Brom said, surprising all of them. "Fight Natsu."

"But…" Eragon shrugged tiredly. "I'm not exactly fresh."

"Do you think a real enemy is going to care if you're well-rested or not?" Brom countered. "You've done well so far in building up your stamina, but there are few opponents out there that are as tenacious as Natsu. You may have mastered the skill of the blade, but it won't hurt for you to continue pushing your limits."

"Very well," Eragon sighed as he raised Za'roc into a ready position. "Brom, if you would block his sword's edge…?" The old man held out his hand for Natsu's sword, which he handed over so that he could mutter a phrase in the ancient language and put a barrier on the sword to prevent it from slicing through flesh and bone. Once it was done, he handed the silver blade back to Natsu, who grinned wolfishly at his adversary.

"Should we take cover in case Natsu starts fighting with his magic, too?" Baldor asked his brother.

"I don't think so," Albriech shook his head. "He seems more fired up about trying to best Eragon with a sword than with magic. The latter is no contest- Natsu could easily crush any of us with his magic if he chose to."

"True," Baldor nodded as they settled down to watch the match.

"Bring it on, buddy," Natsu challenged. "I'm all fired up."

"As you wish," Eragon grunted before he leaped at Natsu, who parried the blow meant to slam into his ribs. He spun around with startling speed to lash at Eragon's neck, but his sword only found empty air as Eragon ducked under the blow before springing up to stab at Natsu's muscular stomach. The Dragon Slayer leaped backwards with lightning reflexes to avoid the blow and settled into another ready stance.

"Not bad," he said. "But you'll have to do better."

"Gladly," Eragon panted. This time, he waited for Natsu to come to him, standing his ground as they exchanged a flurry of blows that captured even Brom's attention with their skill and ferocity.

"Since when was Natsu that good with a sword?" Wendy asked Lisanna.

"When Natsu dedicates himself to his training, there's no limit to what he can learn," the white-haired girl answered. "Whenever he thinks no one is watching, he's been practicing the forms that mister Brom has been showing us. He usually practices when everyone else is asleep, but I've caught him at it a couple of times." She smiled with pride at her old friend as he smacked aside a stroke aimed at his spine before swinging his body around to slash at Eragon's chest. "He wants so hard to protect his friends in any way he can, and he's willing to go through all kinds of training to do it."

"I honestly thought that he just wanted to beat this girl he keeps talking about," Baldor muttered. "Erza, was it?"

"That's part of it, but the truth is that you're hard-pressed to find a more dedicated person than Natsu," Lisanna replied.

"Yeah, I don't think I've ever met anyone that refuses to give up as hard as he does," Wendy said admiringly. "No matter what challenge is put in front of him, he finds some way to tear it down."

"Hmm…" Albriech mused. "Is it possible for us to harness that kind of power, too?"

"That depends on you," Lisanna smiled. "Your magic has the potential to reach whatever level you want it to- you just have to want it enough."

"That's the beauty of our magic," Wendy said softly as a soft blue glow emanated from her right hand. "The only limits we have are our own."

 _Clang!_ They all looked up to see Eragon slam Natsu's sword from his hand, panting heavily and dripping sweat. "Looks… like I win… Dragon Slayer," he gasped.

"Yeah…" Natsu said heavily. "This time. But Fairy Tail wizards… don't stop… until they win. So someday… I'm gonna beat you… Dragon Rider." They smiled at one another, oblivious to Brom's look of approval.

 _They'll give more and more every time because they want to outdo one another,_ he thought with traces of amusement. _While that may not necessarily be the right reason to keep pushing themselves, it will serve its purpose._

* * *

They reached Dras-Leona a few days later. The city was even bigger than Teirm, and it felt more imposing, too. "I don't like the way this place smells," Natsu muttered. He and his friends from Fiore had their hoods up to avoid attracting attention to their hair colors.

"Me neither," Wendy said nervously. "It smells kinda like… Nirvana. Dead."

"Huh," Natsu muttered. "Hadn't thought about that, but you're right, kiddo."

"Are the people here all dead, too?" Eragon asked nervously.

"No, not like that," Natsu said dismissively.

"Nirvana was a city that people built four hundred years ago where we come from," Wendy explained as they neared the gates of the city. "But all the people there died because of a terrible spell that they had invented that caused them to turn on themselves."

"And… this place reminds you of that?" Eragon asked as he eyed the city cautiously. "I suppose it would make sense that the Ra'zac would hide in a place like this."

"The people here worship the mountains of Helgrind," Brom explained. "It's a savage cult, dedicated to the idea that the less flesh you have, the less attached to the mortal world you become. You'll see many acolytes and priests lacking body parts because of this."

"That's awful!" Lisanna blanched. Wendy looked like she was going to be sick.

"Agreed, but don't say that to a believer, or else you'll quickly lose a hand in 'penance," Brom replied.

"Sounds like a great way to convert more believers," Albriech said sourly.

"You'd be amazed at the depravity of mankind," Brom said a trifle sadly. "Compared to the urgals, these priests will still be bad enough to make your skin crawl."

"That bad?" Baldor asked with wide eyes.

"Don't get me started on the magic they use," Brom said as he made a face of disgust. "There's no official records or proof, but I'm fairly certain that they invented the kind of Seithr Oil we're carrying."

"I'm gonna pummel these guys within an inch of their lives if I get the chance," Natsu growled. Before Brom could take in a breath to reprimand him, the salmon-haired Slayer snapped, "Yeah, I know! Don't attract attention to us!"

"As long as you don't," Brom said sourly, somewhat miffed that Natsu had known what he was going to say.

"Hmph," Natsu scowled.

* * *

They made it past the gate without incident, and now Baldor and Albriech were getting a sense of what Natsu and Wendy had been smelling now that they were within the walls. There were people everywhere, but none of them really seemed to be alive. They all ambled about almost mindlessly, going through the ropes of a humdrum routine.

There were homeless people everywhere, many of them disfigured in some manner that the younger wizards assumed was the work of the Priests of Helgrind. "How can anyone live like this?" Wendy asked in a small voice as they passed a crying child nestled in his mother's arms.

"It gets better further in," Brom said quietly, though it was clear that he too, was very uncomfortable. The teenagers and young girl did their best to ignore the moans of pain and despair that surrounded them, all of them riding with hunched shoulders, and in Wendy's case, closed eyes.

* * *

True to Brom's word, the despair and gloom faded away as they made to the city's inner circle. That did nothing for the memories that they would carry with them for years to come, though.

"How can people live like this…?" Eragon asked as he gestured at the nicer-looking buildings and living areas, "when they have people living like _that_?"

"Because it's easier to ignore a problem than to try and solve it," Brom answered simply. "It's human nature to be lazy."

"It's sick," Natsu spat, his spittle leaving embers that glowed briefly on the pavement. "Someday, when we've kicked that geezer Galbatorix off his throne, we're coming back here and changing things up."

"I'll join you in that endeavor," Eragon vowed.

"Count me in," Baldor agreed.

"And me," Albriech added.

"Yes, but for now…" Brom said as he pointed at an inn. "We take up lodging for the night. This evening, Eragon and I will gather whatever intelligence from the tavern patrons. The rest of you, split into two groups and find out what you can. And if someone mugs you, which has been known to happen around here…" He looked at Natsu as he said, "Do what you want- as long as no one catches you doing it."

"With pleasure," Natsu growled, cracking his knuckles. Something in his tone said that he almost wished someone would try to attack him. "This place has got a fire blazin' in my belly- they'd better hope they don't give me a good reason to let it out."

* * *

 **Gajeel: Red...**

 **Mataras: What?**

 **Gajeel: You made it sound like were gonna have a real brawl on our hands this chapter!**

 **Mataras: I promised nothing!**

 **Gray: You implied it, ya lame-brain.**

 **Mataars: What do I look like, Natsu? I'm not that easy to rile up- most of the time.**

 **Makarov: That Dragon Law spell you kept throwing begs to differ.**

 **Mataras: I _will_ cast it again!**

 **Gray: What was that about not being easy to rile up?**

 **Mataras:... You know what? Fine. I'll let it slide, because I have better things to do.**

 **Lucy: Like what?**

 **Mataras: Announcements. First and foremost, The Red Swordsman: Shattered Fragment, premiers on Thanksgiving Day this year, so about a month and a half from now, a release I have been looking forward to for some time.**

 **Gray: Is that the story in Sword Art Online where you're one of the main characters?**

 **Mataras: Aye, but I have other things to announce as well- that's right, I'm not done! The second thing is that three chapters from now, there will be a surprise in this story that I bet nobody will have seen coming, but if someone _can_ guess, I will award them with a special prize.**

 **Levy: What kind of prize?**

 **Mataras: Go guess and find out.**

 **Laxus: Lame.**

 **Mataras: Shove off. Last announcement is... Be on the lookout for a story in an entirely new category coming out this New Year's! Obviously, it will still be a fictional work, but it will be in a category completely unrelated to any of my prior works and untouched by me before this time! What is it?! Be there at the release of Shattered Fragment to find out!  
Red Swordsman, out!**


	23. Battle of Helgrind

**A/N: Well, I think y'all can tell what's gonna happen in this chapter, so I won't keep you waiting- have fun reading!**

* * *

Battle at Helgrind

"You are all aware that if you do this, there is every chance that you may never return?" an old man said to the five young people before him.

"We know the stakes," said one.

"But we're going anyways," said another. "We can't just leave them to their own devices. It's not how we do things."

The old man looked each of them in the eye before sighing heavily and saying, "Then go with my blessing. And know that no matter what happens, or how far you go, I'll always be looking your way."

"Thank you, Master," said the first person. "We won't let you down."

* * *

The young wizards all awoke early the next morning to find that Brom was already up and about, courtesy of a note he left for Eragon. "What's the old man up to?" Natsu mumbled as he rubbed the sleep out of his eyes.

"The note says that he'll be out until later tonight," Eragon replied as he stared at the scrap of paper. "He left us some money so we can go out and explore the city, but he wants us to stay unnoticed." There was a brief pause before he added, "Brom left instructions specifically to tell Natsu that no fire-blasting is allowed while in Dras-Leona."

"Now he's just picking on me again!" Natsu complained.

"It's not unwarranted," Albriech sniggered.

"What'd you say?!" Natsu shouted as he slammed his forehead into the blond Dragon Slayer's head.

"I said you're a flame-for-brains freak!" Albriech growled as he pushed back with his own neck and forehead.

"I dare you to back that up with some real magic!" Natsu challenged.

"Bring it on!" Albriech shot back.

"Not even five minutes into the day, and they're already going at it," Baldor shook his head.

"Should we break them up?" Wendy asked nervously.

"I hesitate to get into the middle of a fight between those two," Eragon winced as Natsu tackled Albriech to the ground.

"Which is why I've been working on a new move for this occasion," Baldor grinned as he cracked his knuckles.

"What are you-?"

"Shadow Dragon _Vortex_ ," the boy said, cutting off Lisanna as he placed both of his palms on the floor and sent forth a wave of shadow energy. As soon as it touched Natsu and Albriech, it started dragging them down into the darkness, much to their surprise.

"What's goin' on?!" Natsu cried.

"Whoa!" Albriech shouted. "Brother, what is this?!"

"It's what happens from now on if you and Natsu start fighting each other," the black-haired boy replied with a grin. He stopped the process of their absorption into the shadows once it was up to their necks so he could add, "So if you want to get out of there, you'll do what Brom says."

"Aw come on!" Natsu complained. But when Baldor raised an eyebrow and started to make Natsu sink down again, the salmon-haired boy shouted, "All right, fine! But after we leave this crummy city, I'm taking you down!"

"I can accept that," Baldor nodded as he allowed his brother and teammate to rise up out of the ground. Giving Albriech a sharp look outwardly, he reflected on the inside how strange it was to be keeping his older brother in line instead of vice versa. _Maybe the mating season is coming around sooner than we expected?_ he wondered. _Natsu did mention that it would increase our aggressiveness by a large amount… Although I haven't been affected yet, which is strange- I'm a man by our standards now, too._

"So…" Eragon said awkwardly once Baldor had straightened and the shadows in the room had returned to normal. "What should we do for the day?"

"I'm hungry," Natsu said. "Let's get some grub."

"Of course," Eragon rolled his eyes. "Why would we do anything else?"

"Don't knock a good meal in the morning," Albriech said as he rubbed his lean stomach. "Or at any time of the day, really."

"It's almost scary how much Albriech is acting like Natsu sometimes, huh Lisanna?" Wendy asked the white-haired girl.

"In some ways," she replied as she smiled at the son of Igneel. "But there's only one Natsu Dragneel."

"Aye, sir!" Natsu laughed as he gave them a thumbs-up.

* * *

After a hearty meal in the tavern where they were staying, the young wizards decided to take a stroll around the nicer parts of the city, since the outer ring was too depressing for them to even think about visiting. The three Earthland wizards made sure to keep their hoods up while they were out in public to avoid attracting unwanted attention.

First they strode through the marketplace, where there were various stalls being set up for business after the lunch hour. Then they found a lookout area where they could see the whole of Leona Lake, and all of the fishing boats that were already coming in and out of the harbor. Natsu blanched and refused to look out at the water after he noticed the wooden vessels, so eventually the group was forced to leave.

"I still don't understand why he hates boats so much," Baldor said mildly as they walked back into the marketplace. "So what if he has a little motion sickness?"

"It's not exactly a 'little' motion sickness," Lisanna said sympathetically on her boyfriend's behalf, since he was still too sullen to come up with a retort. "It pretty much cripples him to even step on a moving vehicle."

"Vehicle?" Albriech repeated, not familiar with the term.

"A moving transport," Wendy explained. "For some reason, live animals don't bother him so much, but anything that's inanimate that moves makes him super sick."

"I think he mentioned that it was a Dragon Slayer thing at some point, but transports don't seem to bother you, Wendy," Baldor said.

"I think it might be because I'm a healer, so I don't get sick," Wendy replied.

"Hang on a sec," Natsu suddenly interrupted. He began sniffing at the air, his brow furrowing. "That's weird," he said.

"What is?" Baldor asked as Wendy also began sniffing at the air.

"I'm smellin' something awful familiar," Natsu growled as he started walking with renewed purpose. "Oh, yeah, I recognize that smell."

"What is it?" Albriech asked as he tried to pick up on a particular scent, but catching nothing but the smells he had come to expect from a large city. "I don't smell anything unusual."

"Natsu has an especially sensitive nose," Lisanna explained. "And it might be a smell that only he's come across before, so only he would know how to isolate the scent."

"Nah, it's one that Wendy would know too, but there's a lot of bad-smelling stuff around here, so it's no shock that she doesn't smell them," Natsu said as he turned around a corner.

"Smell what?" Wendy asked as she gave up trying to isolate the smell that Natsu had picked up on.

"The Ra'zac," Natsu growled as the others turned the corner to look up at the dark temple of Helgrind. "They're in there." There was a stunned moment of silence following those words.

"You're certain?" Eragon asked as he gripped his bow tightly. In his note, Brom had instructed to go around the city with his bow strung, just in case of trouble.

"Yeah," Natsu replied tightly. "I never forget a smell."

"So the Ra'zac worship Helgrind, too?" Wendy asked as they looked up at the imposing, twisted citadel.

"Perhaps, but it would seem more likely that the priests of Helgrind are sheltering them on the King's orders," Albriech replied.

"So what do we do now?" Lisanna asked.

"We make good on our guild's reputation," Natsu said as he started walking towards the temple. "We're gonna make the Ra'zac pay like we came here to do."

"Shouldn't we ask Brom what to do, first?" Eragon asked.

Natsu turned on his heels to look at the boy and shout, "Are you just gonna let that old man decide everything for ya?! Where's your dragon pride, huh?!"

"Nats-" Baldor tried to interrupt, but Natsu wouldn't have it.

"Are you gonna take a hold of your own mission or let someone else do it for you?!" he challenged the young Rider. "You said you came with us to prove yourself- now's the time to make good on that! So are we gonna stand here, or are we gonna go kill some frickin' Ra'zac?!"

Eragon's face was blank for a brief moment before he said, "I've told Saphira what we're up to. She'll contact Brom and tell him to meet us here."

"A reasonable call," Albriech nodded. "Come on, then. Let's do what we came for."

* * *

The temple was eerily quiet and empty when the group of six wizards went inside. "Remember guys, no holding back against these things," Natsu said in a hushed voice. "They can resist magic even without using magic attacks themselves."

"And any wounds that they inflict are going to be hard to heal, even for me," Wendy said, also in a lower tone.

"Shouldn't be too much of a problem for me," Baldor said.

"You said that they don't seem to like bright light very much, right?" Albriech added.

"Aye, sir," Natsu nodded. "So give it to 'em good, right Albriech?"

"Got it," the White Dragon Slayer nodded.

"Just one question," Eragon said. "Where are they?"

" _Sss…_ " an ominous hissing came from above.

"You had to ask, didn't you?" Albriech sighed.

"Scatter!" Baldor shouted, the six of them diving away from each other just in time for two hooded figures to slam into the floor from above.

"You foolsss should not have come here," the smaller of the two Ra'zac hissed sharply. "Thisss is our domain, and you are not welcome, insssects."

"Yeah, well we got a message from our own domain, Carvahall!" Albriech shouted as his fists gleamed with brilliant illumination. " _Choke on it!_ " Laser blasts flew from his fist, forcing the Ra'zac to dodge quickly to avoid being skewered by the light.

Lisanna transformed into a bird-human hybrid and flew up to the rafters of the temple, where she would stay until she saw an opportunity to strike. Eragon and Wendy ducked behind two opposing pillars since they would be mostly there for support instead of dealing any real damage. The other three boys all moved to engage the Ra'zac directly.

" _Fire Dragon ROAR!_ " Natsu bellowed as he leaped up high into the air. An inferno spewed from his jaws like a geyser, aimed perfectly to roast the two creatures where they stood. However, since they had no intention of being cooked alive, they sped out of the way, making a beeline straight for Baldor, swords whipping out with disturbing swiftness.

"By the grace of the wind, may you move swiftly, strike fiercely, and be free from all harm," Wendy chanted as a pale blue magic circle appeared in front of her outstretched hands. " _Arms, Armor, and Vernier!_ "

A shining white aura enveloped Albriech, and a black aura enveloped Baldor, who spun to the side of one of the Ra'zac's blades as he growled, "Shadow Dragon _Slash._ " He knife-handed the larger one in the face, cutting through the fabric of its cloak and causing it to recoil as it hissed angrily with pain.

The smaller one wove to the side to try for a stab at the young wizard, but Eragon was already moving to intercept. "Jeirda!" he barked as he aimed his hand at one of the many pews lining the congregation's hall. The wooden structure shattered, sending spears of wood at the Ra'zac, even as Baldor transformed into a shadow to avoid being harmed. They held up their hands to guard their faces, but the wood bounced off of them like harmless spring rain.

" _White Dragon HOLY PILLAR!_ " Albriech shouted as he slammed his fists into the ground hard enough to crack the stones beneath him. A beam of light erupted from the ground to swallow the Ra'zac whole and blasting a hole in the ceiling, eliciting screams of terror and pain from both of the monsters, and forcing them to leap backwards and out of the killing light. Seeing this, Albriech straightened with a fierce smile as he said, "Didn't like that, eh?"

"What are you?!" the larger one gasped.

"I'm the White Dragon of Carvahall, Albriech, son of Horst," the boy replied. "My divine Dragon Slayer magic is going to be the end of you, foul beasts."

"Not to rain on the parade, but that energy blast is going to bring people running," Lisanna said nervously from her chosen vantage point up in the rafters. She was looking up at a smoldering hole that Albriech had unintentionally opened in the ceiling with his attack. "We'd better finish this quick if we want to get away before the army arrives."

"Then let's do it," Natsu grinned as he gathered magic power. " _Fire Dragon WING ATTACK!_ " Fire blazed from his hands and slashed across the hall, destroying countless pews, artifacts, even the altar at the front of the room.

Again, the Ra'zac blocked the magic, though it was clear that they were more wary of how much damage the attacks would do now. Seeing that they were distracted, Wendy took advantage of Natsu's barrage to say, "I wanna get a hit in, too!"

"Go for it, kiddo!" Natsu laughed as the Ra'zac whirled around to face her.

" _Sky Dragon ROAR!_ " she shouted, a tornado blasting from her mouth to scatter the two Ra'zac like wind-blown beetles. When they came to a stop, they quickly got to their feet, much to everyone's surprise. They were hissing and clicking angrily to each other while eyeing their young opponents cautiously.

"What are these things made of?!" Baldor asked as he re-appeared next to Eragon.

"Not the same stuff as us mortals, apparently," Albriech said dryly as the six of them regathered while staring down their enemies amidst the now-ruined temple.

"Yeah, well I think we'd better stop holding back," Eragon said. "The guard has been mobilized, and they're coming this way, fast. We have maybe five minutes before we get here."

"Then let's kill 'em now," Natsu growled, cracking his knuckled sharply. "Let's blow 'em away so that everyone knows never to mess with Fairy Tail Wizards."

"Breath attacks?" Albriech guessed.

"Yeah," Natsu grinned fiercely.

"Then let's do it before anyone gets here," Baldor said as he began to breathe in deeply.

"We'd better stand back," Lisanna said as she pulled Eragon away from the readying Dragon Slayers.

"Shadow Dragon…!"

"Sky Dragon…!"

"White Dragon…!"

"Fire Dragon…!"

"Cover your ears!" Lisanna shouted as she clamped her hands over her head and ducked behind some rubble. Eragon quickly did the same, already well aware of the vast amount of magic that was about to be loosed in the room.

" _ROOOOOOOOOOAR!_ " The bellow from the four Dragon Slayers was followed by a storm of fire, light, and shadow, all swirling inside of a horizontal tornado. The Ra'zac let out a strange squawking sound before the combined energies slammed into them, obscuring them from view.

Eragon and Lisanna turned away from the explosion, the light too blinding to look at directly. The sound of the blast echoed across the city, and the shockwaves sent ripples through the water all the way to the other side of the Leona Lake. When the light cleared, Lisanna and Eragon both looked over at the four Dragon Slayers, then slapped their hands over their faces as they saw that although the wizards themselves were tired but unharmed, more than half of the temple itself was gone.

"Oh, the locals are not going to like this…" Lisanna groaned.

"Brom said that people lose a hand for talking bad about the practice," Eragon muttered as he looked around at the destruction his friends had caused. "What's the penance for something like this?"

"Let's not stick around to find out," Lisanna said quickly. "Come on, guys! We should get going!"

"Hehe," Natsu chuckled as he turned to look at them. "And that's what happens… when you hurt my friends."

" _Foolsss_ ," a familiar hiss echoed from a pile of rubble. The group whirled to see the two Ra'zac, their clothes mostly ruined, the smaller one with a broken arm, and both of them bleeding a blue-green liquid, but still alive. "If our master does not wish us dead yet, then alive we shall ssstay."

"How?!" Albriech gasped. "We hit them with so much magic!"

"These guys are tough alright," Natsu said tiredly. "Last time I even used my Dragon Slayer Secret Arts, and it wasn't enough to get the job done."

"Three of us know how to use the Secret Arts," Wendy said. "Why don't we try that?"

"Normally I'd agree to that, but the soldiers are going to be here any minute, and we won't be in any condition to fight an army after we've finished them," Albriech said tightly.

"We are not gonna lose to them a second time!" Natsu shouted angrily.

"I'm not saying that we should concede defeat, Natsu," Albriech said as calmly as he could muster. "But if we leave now, we can fight the Ra'zac again- on terms of our own. I mean, look at them!" He swept his arm to indicate the two monsters, which were clicking furiously, but making no movements. "They're terrified of us now, instead of the other way around! This isn't a loss for Fairy Tail, but a step towards victory!"

The words cut through the fog of anger clouding Natsu's mind, and he slowly lowered his flaming fists. "Fine," he said eventually. "But next time, we're not leaving until they're dead at our feet."

"Then we are in agreement," Albriech nodded. Turning to his brother, he said, "Baldor, get us out of here."

"Gladly," the young man replied.

"There isss nowhere you can go where we will not find you!" the larger Ra'zac hissed as the six wizards sunk into a large shadow that Baldor created. "We will find you in your ssslumber, and it will be the end for you!"

"Ha!" Natsu scoffed. "Next time we meet up, I'll take you in my sleep, and I'll still win!" Then they were gone, even as soldiers burst into the remains of the temple. The Ra'zac made themselves scarce as they did, for although the soldiers were required to obey them, it would not please Galbatorix to know that their true forms had been revealed to the world.

The only thing that the troops saw were the brief silhouettes of six people as they vanished into the shadows of the rubble, leaving them to wonder just who had caused all of this destruction.

* * *

"Are you all mad?!" Brom asked angrily. "You could have been killed, or worse, captured by the Ra'zac!" They were all back at the tavern, Eragon having used his telepathy to reach Brom and inform him of what had taken place.

"We would have been able to finish things if the soldiers hadn't come running," Eragon protested. "They are afraid of us now, Brom, and I think they'll reconsider coming after us again."

"You idiots don't learn do you?!" Brom seethed. "It doesn't matter how they feel about you, if the king tells them to go after you, they have no choice but to do so. Not to mention, they _saw your faces!_ Now we'll have to avoid major cities if we don't want to be discovered again!"

"Hey, they already saw Lisanna, Wendy, and my faces," Natsu said. "Big deal if they saw Eragon and the other guys."

"It is a very big deal!" Brom snarled. "Before, people would have been looking for a trio of youngsters, but once the Ra'zac report to the king, there will be wanted posters saying to look for a group of people!"

"Brom, we knew the risks of going up against the Ra'zac," Baldor said calmly. "But this was our best chance to take them by surprise, so we decided to take it. We're sorry that we couldn't finish the job, but we did our best."

"Rrrgh…" Brom snarled as he reached under his bed and pulled up his bag. "Pack up. We're leaving."

"What, why?" Wendy asked.

"Because the longer we stay here, the greater our chances of discovery," Brom answered as he started rummaging through his belongings, making sure everything was in place. "The Ra'zac won't come looking for us yet, not in person. But the soldiers that take orders from them will start looking for you as soon as they have a description."

"Uh oh," Lisanna said nervously.

"Exactly, so we'd best make ourselves scarce," Brom said tightly. "We'll continue this conversation once we're out of Dras-Leona." His tone indicated that it was not going to be a positive talk.

"Hold on a sec," Natsu said as he held up a hand for silence. His brow was furrowed, his eyes narrowed in concentration as he moved closer to the window, where the drapes were shut.

"What's wrong, Natsu?" Lisanna asked worriedly.

"I'm hearing a lot of people moving outside," he said. "And it sounds like some of 'em are pretty upset."

"Hmm…" Brom frowned again as he concentrated on sending his thoughts outward to understand what was happening. Then he said, "Natsu is right, there are some fairly upset people out there."

"Why is that?" Albriech asked, in the middle of grabbing his own bag.

"It seems that the Priests of Helgrind stirred up enough of their followers that the guards are now sealing off the city," Brom said grimly. "I just eavesdropped on the people outside. No one gets out until they find the culprits that destroyed their temple."

* * *

 **Gajeel: Hehe. That was more like it.**

 **Mataras: Glad to know that the chapter meets your approval- I worked really hard on it.**

 **Lucy: Hey, Mataras? Got a question for you.**

 **Mataras: Shoot.**

 **Lucy: What was up with the beginning part of the chapter? Who were those people?**

 **Gray: Yeah, I was wondering about that, too.**

 **Mataras: Ah, that. Well... No spoilers. You'll all just have to wait until Thanksgiving to find out who those people are.**

 **Happy: Dude, that's not cool!**

 **Erza: Now, now. The man is entitled to keep his secrets. after all, what's the point in reading a story if you already know the ending?**

 **Mataras: Thank you, Erza.**

 **Levy: Hey, isn't there something you're forgetting, Mataras?**

 **Mataras: Eh? Oh, right! Yes, I meant to tell our readers that the Red Swordsman: Shattered Fragment is now live with its prologue chapter. The first full chapter will also be released on Thanksgiving Day.**

 **Erza: Shattered Fragment?**

 **Mataras: Yeah, it's a rendition of my adventures alongside Kirito in the world of Sword Art Online. I've kicked it into another level entirely for that story, so I hope at least some of my readers here will go check it out, if nothing else to see what I'm really capable of with my writing abilities.**

 **Gray: Hold on, man. Are you saying that you're not putting as much effort into this story as that one? Lame.**

 **Mataras: No, not at all! I put just as much effort into creating an enjoyable _storyline_ for my readers in all of my stories, _no_ exceptions. However, in terms of grammar and detail input, Shattered Fragment will definitely be on a higher plane.**

 **Lucy: Okay, that makes sense. Glad to know we're not just a side project or something like that.**

 **Mataras: Oh ye of little faith.**

 **Makarov: Next time- Fates Converge.**


	24. Fates Converge

**A/N: Happy Thanksgiving, one and all! I hope you all had plenty to eat, and I hope that you enjoy the desert that I have to serve!**

 **Time for the Alagaesia-Fairy Tail to hightail it out of Dras-Leona and prepare to meet another new friend- and maybe some old ones...? The only clue you get in advance is that one- and _only_ one- of the people in the reviews was _half_ -right. Heh- getting fired up yet?**

 **As a final note, I'm final disclosing some news about a hidden project that will be released on New Year's, 2017. The full details will be in the closing segment of the newest Red Swordsman Shattered Fragment, but I hope that what I say at the end will intrigue you enough to go check it out!**

* * *

Fates Converge

"You're certain that this is the right plan to take?" Eragon asked his mentor.

"Heads down, magic blazing, run like hell," Brom nodded. "We don't have much of a choice if we want to make it out of Dras-Leona. The city is on high alert, so if we're discovered by any one mage, all of them will know about it via telepathy." The group had loaded the horses with their supplies before Brom ordered Baldor to take them ahead with his shadow magic. They would rendezvous with him and Saphira in the forest since he wasn't strong enough to take all of them out of the city with his powers yet. Fortunately, this meant that they would have no extra weight slowing them down when it came time to run.

"Heh," Natsu grinned as he cracked his knuckles. "I'll be sure to cover our tracks while we run." The air around him became noticeably hotter as he prepared to use his magic.

"By covering our tracks, you mean 'burn everything behind us', don't you?" Albriech said dryly as they walked out into the crowded streets.

"Is there any other way?" Natsu smirked.

"You there!" a gruff voice called out as a group soldiers started making their way through the crowd to reach the group of wizards. "Stop and prepare to show identification! The city is under curfew!"

"Do it, boys," Brom said, his voice and eyes hard. He was clearly unhappy about having to leave in what would surely be a loud manner, but he knew that Natsu and Albriech could get the job done.

"I call the first shot," Albriech said as he spread his feet in a horse stance and clasped his hands together. " _White Dragon HOLY RAY!_ " He spread his hands even as people around them scattered at the sight of the brilliant light gathering in his hands. Lances of energy shot forward and skewered multiple guards, stopping them in their tracks, leaving three unscathed but unsure that they wanted to keep going.

Natsu and Lisanna helped them make up their minds. "Ready, Lisanna?" Natsu asked as he breathed in deeply.

"Yeah!" she nodded as her body glowed and changed shape, becoming a mix between a human and a white tiger. "The tigress in my heart…"

"And the flames from my soul," Natsu intoned. "Put 'em together and we get…!"

" _Blazing Tiger Takeover!_ " they shouted together, the announcement surprising their teammates almost as much as the guards that they were facing down. Flames shot out of Natsu's hands and enveloped Lisanna as she ran at the men, though it did not burn her. Instead, her fur seemed to take on a flame-like quality, enhancing her blows as she struck down the soldiers with great speed to leave them all in smoking heaps on the ground. The crowd around them screamed and ran in terror of the white-haired demon.

"What was that?" Brom asked, eyes wide.

"A unison raid," Wendy answered as the group began to run. "If certain people work together well enough, they can combine their powers to create new spells that they could never make on their own. In this case, Natsu's fire enhanced Lisanna's takeover magic."

"About time we pulled that off," Natsu laughed as he and Lisanna h-fived.

"Wait, you've never done that before?" Albriech asked as he unleashed a laser burst that fried an archer on a rooftop.

"Not successfully," Lisanna answered. "But now seemed as good a time as any to get it right, huh Natsu?"

She looked back over at her boyfriend, but to her chagrin, he was already focused on the next group of soldiers coming at them. "Kiddo, you and me!" he grinned.

"Got it!" Wendy said as she drew in a breath, the air around the group swirling into her mouth before she shouted, "Sky Dragon _Roar!_ " A cyclone blasted from her jaws just as Natsu jumped in front of her, already engaging his Fire Dragon Sword Horn spell. Propelled at high speed by the violent winds, he shot through the men like a stampeding bull, leaving them scattered and broken.

"Will you children never cease to surprise me?" Brom muttered as he and Eragon brought up the rear. _They just emerged from a scrap with the Ra'zac, and yet they still have enough power to take on an entire city… They'll never hear me say it, but perhaps they could defeat the king someday, even without Eragon and Saphira…_

* * *

They ran into groups of soldiers here and there on the way out, but the city's forces were too scattered to pose a real problem for the elite group of wizards. At least, that's what it seemed, until they reached the main gate that stood between them and the rendezvous with Baldor. A full century of soldiers stood between them and the massive iron gates, which were being drawn closed even as they faced off with their enemies.

"Will this be a problem?" Brom asked Natsu, who was eyeing the soldiers with a glare.

"Some food would be nice right now," he replied quietly.

Brom nodded and said in a low voice to Eragon, "Give Albriech something to fuel his magic. I'll take care of Natsu."

"I have something else in mind," Eragon replied before Brom could cast his spell. "If you fuel Natsu, I can hold the gates in place while we make a break for it. That way after we get out, they'll waste time getting the gates open again, which gives us more time to get into the trees."

Brom turned to his student with a raised eyebrow. "Thinking ahead? Well done, Eragon."

"Just buy me a moment," the boy murmured back, preparing to gather the magic he would need for the task.

"You are outnumbered!" the captain of the guard shouted from atop the wall. "Surrender, and the king will show you mercy!"

"Brisingr," Brom whispered, a fireball materializing in his palm before he tossed it to Natsu, who inhaled the potent orb. "Cover Eragon," he ordered as the enemy archers took aim in response to the flicker of flame. "But be careful not to damage the gates."

"Hehe…" Natsu smiled evilly. "Ready, guys?"

"Say the word," Albriech replied, eyeing the archers, ready to let loose the second that they fired off an arrow.

"I'm a little low on magic," Wendy panted. "But I can still do this…I call upon thee: stalwart might to cleave the heavens, _Arms!_ " Natsu and Albriech both found themselves surrounded by auras of light that increased their power, and they knew it was time to go to work.

" _HOLY RAY!_ " Albriech roared, lasers flinging from his hands to strike down the archers on the walls before they could let loose with a shower of arrows.

"I'm gonna clear a path, so stay close!" Natsu shouted. _"Dragon Slayer Secret Art- Hidden Fire Form!_ " A cocoon of flames enveloped his body as he started running forward to meet the soldiers head-on. " _Flame-loaded PHOENIX SWORD!_ " His speed suddenly increased as he shot forward like an arrow from a bow, his fire taking on the form of the mythical fire birds a she carved straight through the crowd of men brave enough to face him.

"What was it you said before?" Lisanna asked Brom.

"Heads down, magic blazing, run like hell!" the old man shouted as they charged after the hot-headed dragon slayer. Just ahead of Natsu, the gates were about to slam shut, and Brom hoped that Eragon was strong enough to do what he had planned.

"Huildr du guildr!" Eragon barked, and the gates groaned as they were forced to hold by the power of the Ancient Language. The boy himself faltered a step, but he quickly righted himself in time to keep up with the others as they blasted their way through the last of the guardsmen and outside the city of Dras-Leona.

* * *

"Next time we won't be so lucky," Brom said as the group sat around a blazing campfire.

"I'd say that was more skill than luck, Brom," Albriech replied with a slight smile. "Those soldiers didn't stand a chance against us."

"But it's not about the soldiers, is it?" Eragon said as he stared into the flames, though everyone had the feeling that the words were directed at Brom. This thought was furthered by the fact that the young rider cast his gaze directly at the old man as he added, "You learned something, didn't you?"

"I did," Brom said gruffly. "Our timing could scarcely have been worse. Galbatorix himself is on his way to Dras-Leona, and he is expected to be there within the week."

"Oh no…" Wendy gasped. "Is he chasing us?"

"No, though he might after the reports he'll undoubtedly receive about us when he arrives," the old rider muttered. "I suppose the only luck on our side in all of this is the fact that the purpose of his visit was to chastise Lord Tabor, the current governor."

"Why is that?" Baldor asked idly as he leaned back against Saphira's belly, next to Eragon.

"It seems that the good governor has overstepped his bounds one time too many," Brom snorted with mild amusement. "And I doubt that the current state of Dras-Leona and Helgrind is going to improve Galbatorix's mood. Lord Tabor will be lucky if he doesn't get thrown to the priests."

"That was a pretty creepy-looking temple that they had," Lisanna winced. "Can't say I'm sorry to see it go."

"I would be inclined to agree, though I wish you would have given me more of a warning," Brom frowned heavily. "If you had seen to-"

"Shh!" Natsu hissed sharply, surprising everyone. Ever since they had set up camp, he had been unusually quiet, and he had hardly touched his food. Something was clearly bothering him, but he had refused to say what until now.

"What's wrong, Natsu?" Wendy asked.

"Someone's nearby," he said, fire coming to life in his hands, prompting everyone to shoot to their feet, weapons in hand. "They've got somethin' hidin' their scent, though."

"Then how can you tell that someone is nearby?" Eragon asked as he frowned. "I don't sense anything out here but us and the local wildlife.

"I keep hearing something that just doesn't sound right," Natsu insisted. "And it's buggin' me."

" _Is it possible that all of that fire magic finally cooked his brain?_ " Saphira snorted with amusement.

"Says the lizard calling itself a dragon that can't breathe fire," Natsu shot back, eliciting a warning snarl from the blue dragoness. Nonetheless, he growled, "My senses don't lie. There's someone out here, and I got a feeling that they ain't friendly."

"Gah!" Baldor suddenly cried out before collapsing like a sack of potatoes. Stuck in his back was a nasty-looking dart. Not fatal on its own, but if it was poisoned…

"Wendy, look out!" Natsu shouted, but he was too late. The girl let out a small squawk of alarm before she too went down, a dart stuck in the small of her back. The salmon-haired wizard roared in anger and sent a burst of flame at the direction that the dart had come from.

"Scatter!" Brom ordered.

" _White Dra_ \- ack!" Albriech was cut off mid-spell, falling to the ground like the others.

"No, Albriech!" Lisanna cried, reaching out her hand to the fallen boy.

"Lisanna, wait!" Natsu shouted, reaching out to the white-haired girl. A dart spat from the dark of the woods to impale his hand, and the next thing he knew, the world went dark.

* * *

The Fire Dragon Slayer didn't wake up for some time, but when he did, he felt like Igneel had just stepped on his head. "Ugh…" he groaned as he opened his eyes, his surroundings blurry. He was finding it very hard to move, though he wasn't sure why.

"Ah, he'sss waking up," said a sibilant, familiar voice.

"Let'sss just kill him," another voice said, though the figures were still too blurry to make out. "He has caused usss much pain."

"The king ordered usss that they all be brought in _alive_ ," the first voice snapped. "He wantsss to know their secretsss. He has caused us much pain, but his majesty will far less kind…"

Natsu blinked a few times, and that seemed to help his vision a bit. He thought he could see the sleeping forms of his friends next to him, all tied up. A big blue blur on his left led him to believe that Saphira was nearby. The only thing he was having a hard time grasping was why they were tied up in the first place.

"He doesn't need the girl," one of the voices argued.

"The king would still be… displeasssed," the other voice hissed. "What if the boy talksss?"

Natsu looked harder at the blue blur before he could make out two cloaked individuals standing beside Saphira, one of them holding the tether for a muzzle on the blue dragon. The smaller one let out a sickening sound that resembled laughter before saying, "He would not dare."

 _The Ra'zac!_ Natsu finally realized, trying furiously to get out of his ropes.

"Agreed," the larger one finally said. Then it looked over at him and drew a dagger before moving with starting speed to put the cold blade under his chin and make him freeze in place. "None of that," it whispered, its fetid breath making Natsu want to gag.

"I'm gonna roast you to ash," he growled. He tried to use his magic to burn through the ropes, but nothing happened. "What the hell?!" He looked down to see that his hand, the one that had been stabbed by the blade, had a rough bandage on it.

"Ah yesss, the drug worksss," the Ra'zac chuckled as it stepped back and cocked its head at him. "We were not certain that one with magic such as yourself could be affected by it… But it ssseems to be rather effective."

"Let Saphira go." The commanding tone came from Eragon, surprising Natsu, and to a degree, the Ra'zac.

"You are in no position to demand thingsss, boy," the smaller Ra'zac laughed.

"Let her go, or we will kill you," Eragon repeated, his voice still commanding, if a bit thick from the effect of the drug that the Ra'zac had used on them. This seemed to amuse the Ra'zac even further, for the larger one grabbed Eragon's sword and waved it in his face while it was still sheathed.

"If you could grab thisss, I might be inclined to let you try," it cackled. "But perhaps a lesson in humility isss in order- perhaps the loss of a finger will teach you ressspect?" And it unsheathed the wine-red blade, only to stare at it in shock and what appeared to be something akin to fear. Its companion rushed over, and they began chittering back and forth rapidly in what seemed to be their native tongue.

Natsu looked around hurriedly, trying to find something, anything that could get them out of this mess. Brom, Lisanna, and Albriech seemed to be arousing, but Wendy and Baldor were still out cold. _C'mon, magic…_ he thought desperately, trying to get a flame going on his hands. After a few seconds of concentrated effort, a spark flashed between his wrists, prompting him to smile fiercely.

 _All right…_ he thought. _C'mon, c'mon…_ The rope binding his wrists began to emanate some intense heat, though they did not catch a blaze yet.

"What do you think you are doing, _boy_?" the smaller Ra'zac hissed as it noticed Natsu trying to wriggle free of his bonds. "I think he needsss another dose."

"Agreed," said the other as it took a step towards him, then froze in place, cocking its head and peering into the tree line.

Eragon took advantage of this to try and kick at the Ra'zac, but he missed badly, and with his legs bound, he had little power behind the motion. The creature hissed angrily and raised its dagger while saying, "Your new massster can fix your ear after I cut it off. For now- _Skree!_ " It let out a loud shriek as it recoiled from an arrow that appeared in its shoulder.

Its brethren turned to see what was happening, but the only reward it received was another arrow that nearly skewered it in the neck, speeding into the trees behind it. "What isss this?!" it demanded.

"It doesn't matter," the wounded one snapped. "We leave!" and it lurched towards the dark of the forest.

"Bah!" the larger one spat as it too, made to retreat. "Very well. But firssst…" It drew its own knife before grabbing its companion's weapon. "Sssomeone dies tonight." And it threw both daggers, one after the other, one at Natsu, and one at Eragon.

Time seemed to slow down.

* * *

"Are you ready?" the old man asked.

"We are," said one of the five before him. "We'll do you proud, Master."

"I know you will," he replied with a slight smile. He raised his hands above his head and intoned, "O bridge between worlds, O gap between time…"

* * *

Natsu tried in vain to burn through the rope, but it was too thick, and he was too weak. The dagger was flying right at him, headed right for his vulnerable abdomen. Eragon was in an even worse position, the knife headed for his heart.

Unseen by them, two pairs of eyes flashed to life, and their owners found that they had the strength to move…

* * *

"May this path lead to the gate where our family awaits!" the old man chanted. " _Anima!_ " A swirling vortex opened before him, laced with wind, lightning, and some other kind of energy that those present could not describe.

"Ready or not, Natsu…" the tallest of the assembled wizards grinned.

"Here we come!" said the most effeminate of them.

"For Fairy Tail!" shouted a woman dressed in armor as she and the other two dove into the vortex.

"Aye, sir!" shouted one with wings.

"Luck be with us!" exclaimed the last as she jumped in beside the fourth speaker.

As the vortex closed behind them, the old man sighed and murmured, "Godspeed, my children…"

* * *

Natsu almost shut his eyes against the end, but then something- or rather some _one_ threw themselves in front of the speeding weapon. Someone with a mop of brilliant white and bright blue eyes. A wet _scrunch_ sounded as the knife slipped into Lisanna's back, and she flopped down like a limp rag doll.

Natsu couldn't move. Couldn't breathe. _No…_

"I…" she gasped as blood trickled out of her mouth. She reached out with her bound hands for his, but she was too weak to make the effort. Numbly, he reached out and managed to grasp her own hands in his.

She smiled, then. That beautiful, wonderful, uplifting smile that he had grown to know and love as he grew up. "I… love…"

"Li…" he gasped, his throat dry, his heart in his throat.

"I love… you… Natsu," she smiled a bit wider, a tear sliding out of her eye. "T-Tell Mira and Big Brother… I… love them, too."

"Lisanna…?" Natsu said hoarsely. He couldn't believe what was happening. So recently, he had been rejoicing her return to life, and now… "You can't…"

"Hey…" she said, her smile still on her face. "It's okay, Natsu… I'll… be home… real soon… Because I'm a… proud… Fairy Tail Wizard." She exhaled slowly, went limp, and died.

The ropes binding Natsu's limbs snapped and burst into flames.

* * *

"Think that's it?!" the leader of the five-man team shouted to be heard above the rushing energy that swirled around them.

"I'm sensing a lot of fire magic coming from that one!" said one of the two wizards with wings. "Bet'cha any number of fish that Natsu's on the other side!"

"This is no time to be thinking about fish, Tomcat!" shouted his companion.

"If no one has any better guesses, that's where we're going!" shouted one of the other wizards. She reached for her belt, pulled off a silver key and shouted, "Open, Gate of the Clock Constellation: Horologium!"

* * *

The woods outside of Dras-Leona were rocked by two simultaneous explosions that night. One consisted entirely of fire, and it wiped an entire mile of greenery off the map in a single second. The second explosion occurred a few hundred yards from the source of the first, though this one was less violent than fundamentally strange in the way that it felt- it seemed to twist the very air and land around it until it finished, leaving six figures in a miniature crater that emitted small soap-like bubbles from the ground.

"I… can't believe that worked," Lucy Heartfelia said as she wiped her brow. "Thanks for the help, Horologium." Her comment was addressed to the sixth figure, a spirit in the form of a grandfather clock.

"It was my sincere pleasure, Miss Lucy," he said as he bowed to her- as well as a clock could bow, anyway. "But I'm afraid that my time is up. Tootle-ooh!" And he vanished in a puff of smoke.

"Nice work, Lucy," Gray Fullbuster grinned as he hi-fived his teammate. "I knew you could do it."

"I agree, you've really outdone yourself," Erza Scarlet smiled at her teammate. "Who knew that a celestial spirit could act as a key once we ended up in the space between worlds?"

"I guess Lucy's good for more than looking pretty!" Happy giggled as he floated on his wings, a silver-blue fish in his paws.

"Hey!" the blond wizard protested.

"How about instead of looking at what's pretty, we focus on finding Wendy and that Salamander?" Carla demanded as she too, floated on white wings.

"I… don't think that's gonna be the hard part," Lucy said nervously, sweat lining her brow as she pointed up at the sky.

"Uh oh," Gray gulped. "He's pretty fired up about something- and it doesn't look like it's in a good way." The others followed their gazes to see Natsu standing atop a massive tendril of flame, his eyes glowing as his body exhumed more and more of his fire magic. Happy took one look at his best friend and dropped his fish in shock and terror.

" _I'LL MAKE THEM PAY!_ " Natsu Dagneel screamed at the top of his lungs. He raised his hands above his head before he brought them back down in a clubbing motion, bellowing, " _SAY GOOD-BYE, RA'ZAC!_ " A fireball the size of a house congealed above him and flew right at the assembled Fairy Tail wizards.

"Oh…" Lucy paled.

"Crud," Gray finished.

* * *

 **Gajeel: Hey! Where'd everyone go?!**

 **Laxus: Cool it, it's just Team Natsu that's not here.**

 **Gajeel: Yeah, but where'd they go?!**

 **Freed: Perhaps you should reference the text above, you simpleton.**

 **Gajeel: The hell'd you call me...?!**

 **Levy: You blocked him from reading it, didn't you?**

 **Mataras: Hey, I'm already getting ready to dodge the heat that my readers send me for Lisanna's death. I don't need him harping in on it becuase he didn't make the cut. I'm just hoping that the news of everyone getting an extra-long chapter on Christmas will be enough to put out the fire.**

 **Levy: Why didn't you send him, anyway? I know he doesn't like Natsu- or at least, he pretends not to- but he _is_ a Dragon Slayer.**

 **Mataras: In case people have forgotten, I'll remind them- Roran has the Iron Dragon Slayer role in this story- I hardly need two.**

 **Makarov: A wise move, I agree. But aren't you forgetting something, young man?**

 **Mataras: Ah, yes, forgive me. Before I cut out of here, I'd like to make mention of my latest project that is set to release on January 1, 2017.**

 **Levy: You mentioned that you're branching out into an area of Fanfiction that you've never touched before. What is it?**

 **Mataras: Hehe... I always did love the adventures of Aang and his friends in the Last Airbender...**

 **Levy: Wait, you're-?!**

 **Mataras: This New Year's...**

 **The Legacy of Korra**


	25. A Dragon Rider's Legacy

**A/N: Okay, so I'm very well aware that last chapter kind of ended on a mixed note, but it was more sad to see Lisanna get offed than seeing the rest of Team Natsu/Salamander make it to Alagaesia. In regards to my previous statement about Natsu, Lisanna and Wendy being the only wizards from Fiore to make in this story, umm... I lied.**

 **Hehe, sorry guys, but it's a writer's job to throw his audience out of their comfort zone every one in a while.**

 **In any case, I have always liked the tradition that some families allow one present to be open on the day before Christmas, which explains the early release of today's chapter, which you'll note is more than twice the length of my usual chapters in this story. Longer chapter means more things happening, so I'll just step back and let you enjoy!**

* * *

A Dragon Rider's Legacy

"Ice make-!" Gray started to shout, but Erza yanked on his arm to pull him out of the line of fire.

"It's no use trying ice magic against him right now!" she shouted as Happy and Carla zoomed over to grab Lucy and get her a safe distance from the fireball that the enraged Natsu had thrown. The resulting explosion nearly got them all anyway, but only Erza was a bit singed by the attack.

"What's with him?!" Gray asked as the Fire Dragon Slayer unleashed a breath attack that set fire to a full acre of the forest. "The hell's a Ra'zac?"

"I don't know, but whatever it is, it seems to have upset him enough to unleash his Flames of Emotion," Erza said tightly, her body glowing as she triggered her requip magic to outfit herself with the Black Wing armor.

"Do you think maybe he's under some kind of hallucination spell?" Lucy asked.

"It's possible, but regardless, we can't let him continue to destroy the forest," Erza declared. "Lucy, you and Gray try to put out the fires with Carla and Happy's help."

"What're you gonna do?" Gray asked.

"I'm going to beat some sense into our Salamander so that he remembers why trying to fight me is a bad idea!" she growled as she shot into the sky, right at Natsu.

"I hope she's okay…" Lucy grimaced.

"Relax, it's Erza we're talkin' about," Gray grinned. "If anyone around here can put him in his place, it's her."

* * *

" _I'LL BURN THEM TO ASH!_ " the fire dragon slayer screamed.

" _Natsu!_ " A strong, commanding- and frighteningly familiar voice finally reached his ears. "What has come over you?!"

"Erza?" he gaped, turning around to see his comrade floating not twenty feet in front of him. "Is that really…?"

"You had better have a good reason for all of this destruction, Natsu," she glowered. "Or else- Wait…" Her angry words suddenly stopped as she saw that despite the intense heat that Natsu was putting out, tears were falling from his eyes, even as his clenched jaw quivered, and he made a strange choking sound as he tried to speak. "Natsu…?" she asked, suddenly afraid. "What happened to you?"

"They…" he sniffled, the flames in his hands dying, though the pillar beneath his feet remained strong. "They gotta pay… I can't take it anymore… Erza…"

"Who needs to pay?" Erza asked him as gently as the circumstances would allow. "Who hurt you? Was it that Ra'zac thing you were screaming about?"

"They…" he whimpered. "They killed her… They took her… forever this time."

"Who?!" Erza prompted a little more firmly.

Natsu told her.

* * *

"How is he?" Eragon asked worriedly as he clutched at his ribs. Apparently in the process of being knocked out, the Ra'zac had broken one or two of his bones. He had declined Wendy's offer to heal him, insisting that she focus on Brom, who was definitely in a sorrier state from the knife that had possibly grazed his heart. Saphira was still unconscious, courtesy of the drug that the Ra'zac had used on them, though her life was not in danger according to Wendy.

The little girl shook her head even as tears leaked from her eyes. "I… My sky magic isn't working as well as it usually does," she sniffled. "He said that wounds made the Ra'zac take time to mend, but…" She looked over at the still body of her guild mate, the despair threatening to overwhelm her. _Lisanna didn't deserve this…_ she thought bleakly.

"Hello?!" a familiar female voice called out, though it seemed out of place to the sky dragon slayer. "Hey, Wendy?! Are you here?!"

"Answer me, child!" another voice, this one even more familiar than the first. "Can you hear us?! Please tell us if you're here!"

"Lucy?" she gasped. "Carla?"

"Who would be foolish enough to come out here at a time like this?" Albriech grunted as he stood up beside his brother. Both of them were a little unsteady on their feet from the effects of the poison, but they could still fight.

"Wait!" Wendy said as four figures came into the firelight. "I know them!"

"You do?" Baldor asked over his shoulder.

"Hey, looks like we found some people!" one of the figures said as they came into the clearing. "Have you guys seen a-?" Happy's voice was cut off as he laid eyes on Wendy, who put her hands to her mouth in shock.

"Wendy!" Carla exclaimed happily as she shot across the small area to hug the crying girl. "Thank the heavens that you're all right!"

"Carla!" Wendy sobbed as she buried her face in the white exceed's fur.

Albriech and Baldor hardly noticed. They were too busy being taken aback by Lucy's exposed legs, Gray's exposed torso, and Happy's glowing wings. "I think that poison dart is still interfering with my senses," Baldor finally said after a moment. "The flying cat is bad enough, but no real lady has legs that shapely."

"Watch it, jerk!" Lucy shouted as she ran up and slapped him across the face. "My eyes are up here!"

"I take it back, she's real," Baldor muttered as he rubbed his jaw. "That was real pain…"

"I wonder if that's good or bad?" his brother wondered aloud.

"Who are you people?" Eragon grunted as he struggled to stand, thoroughly confused by what was happening. "Can you help us?"

"Aye, sir!" Happy grinned.

"You don't even know what they need help with," Gray sighed heavily. "Geez, even for a furball, you-" His eyes went wide and his jaw slack.

"What's the matter?" Happy snickered. "Cat got your tongue?"

"Happy," Gray's voice was flat, emotionless, immediately killing the silly mood of the blue exceed. "Look." He pointed with a shaking finger as he said, "Isn't that…?"

"Huh?" Happy asked as he followed Gray's gaze. When he did, he immediately froze in place at the horrible sight before him. "No…" he whispered, disbelief written across his face. "That's not… it can't be…"

"Unfortunately, it is," Erza said as she strode into camp, Natsu trudging behind her, his face hidden by his hair as he hung his head wordlessly.

"But… how…?" Lucy asked as she too, saw the body.

"That's something we'll have to worry about later," Erza said, her face set like flint. "For now, we have one goal that shall take priority above all others."

"And what is that?" Albriech asked. "Who are you people?"

Erza levelled her steely gaze at him, causing him to shiver in fear. "We are from Natsu's team at the Fairy Tail guild," she said. "As for what our goal is…" She glowed briefly before her body was revealed to be clothed in her Purgatory armor. "Fairy Tail's family has been wounded. And we will have our revenge."

Albriech and Baldor's gazes flicked over to Lisanna's body, to each other, then back to the black-armored woman with red hair. "We understand," Albriech said seriously.

"Do you now?" Gray challenged.

"More than you might think," Baldor replied without flinching as he bared his shoulder that held the mark of the guild on his clothing. "Natsu made us honorary members, which my brother and I take seriously. If you're going out for revenge, it's personal for us, too."

"You're wizards?" Lucy asked.

"We are the White and Shadow Dragon Slayers," Albriech said firmly. He ignored the newcomers' surprise as he added, "Lisanna was our friend, too. If you are all from the original Fairy Tail, then let us come with you to destroy the ones that did this."

"B-But…" Wendy whimpered. "Who's gonna stay with Eragon and mister Brom?"

"I will," a new voice said as its owner stepped out from behind a tree, a bow in his hands.

"Who are you?" Albriech asked hotly.

"I'm the one that shot the Ra'zac earlier," the stranger answered as he stepped into the light, revealing a handsome face partially hidden by black hair that framed his dark eyes. "I swear to you, I am no friend to the Empire."

"Why should we just take your word for it, especially after you've been hiding this whole time?" Baldor asked in calmer manner than his brother.

"Because if you don't go now, you may never have another shot at the Ra'zac before the king himself comes after you," the man replied shortly. "Besides, after seeing your power firsthand, I know that trying to harm any of you would be suicide. You have nothing to fear from me."

"What is your name?" Erza asked him in a commanding tone.

"Murtagh," he replied, his voice tight.

"Very well, Murtagh, we place our wounded in your care," Erza said firmly. "Wendy, Happy, and Carla will remain here to continue helping our comrades. You know what will happen if you deceive us?"

A wry smile twisted the stranger's lips. "I can imagine," he said dryly.

"You sure about this?" Gray asked the girl.

"Yes," Erza said as she turned around and walked into the forest, Natsu close beside her. "He knows that he won't live to regret a betrayal." And there wasn't really anything anyone could say to refute that.

"How do we find these monsters?" Albriech asked after a quiet moment. "The smoke is clouding my sense of smell."

"I've got that covered," Natsu said in a quiet, flat voice as he picked up Zar'roc. "I'll find 'em… And I'm holding nothing back this time."

* * *

"Sss…" One of the Ra'zac hissed. "We were nearly caught off-guard by those strange wizardsss…"

"There is nothing to be gained by dwelling on it," the larger one reprimanded its comrade. "We now know- never are we to underestimate their power, no matter what condition they are in."

"Damn straight," said a cold, flat voice that seemed to be accompanied by a freezing wave of air. The Ra'zac were surprised to see a tall, muscular teenager with a foreign emblem matching the one that the strange wizards wore stamped on his chest.

"Another…?" the smaller one growled.

"No matter," the larger hissed sharply. "They will be here soon. Perhaps thisss one will make a fine meal…"

"You truly are sickening creatures, aren't you?" a strong, female voice said from the opposite direction. The Ra'zac whirled around in surprise- they hadn't hear her coming, and it was rare that someone escaped their detection. Erza stood with her brutal mace resting easily on her shoulder, her expression betraying none of the rage lying just beneath the surface.

"You hurt Fairy Tail," said Lucy as she moved to stand beside her teammate, a golden key in hand.

"She looksss… tender," the larger laughed as they looked her up and down.

Lucy didn't even flinch. She simply raised her hand above her head and stated, "Open, Gate of the Lion: Leo." A golden light flashed before her, and out stepped the leader of the Zodiac spirits.

"Hey, gorgeous," he said easily. "What's the issue?"

"Those two killed Lisanna," she said sharply. "I called you because you're a member of Fairy Tail, so this makes it your business, too."

Leo, for once, dropped all pretenses of charm and grace as he glared at the two monsters, who were very confused about the sudden appearance of the spirit. "Right then," he said flatly as his fists began to glow. "Say the word, Lucy."

"Ssstrange magic or not, you cannot kill the likes of us," the larger Ra'zac hissed angrily. "Our kind were bred to ressssist magic of any sort."

"Watch us," Baldor said, his voice as dark as the shadows he commanded. "You killed Lisanna… hurt the old man…"

"You wounded people from Carvahall…" Albriech added as he stepped from the treeline to help encircle the Ra'zac, who were beginning to feel closed in, though they would never admit it.

"Worst of all…" Natsu's ragged voice said as the owner stepped out from the shadows, holding the red sword, Zar'roc in his right hand. "You took something precious… right in front of me." His onyx-colored eyes were then raised to look directly at the Ra'zac, who shifted in place as they saw his tears mixed with the burning fire of his soul. "That was your last mistake… Ra'zac. Cos now you've lit a fire that'll never go out…" Scales began to emerge under his skin around his face and arms, and the magic power that was building up could be felt even by the Ra'zac, who were not magic users themselves.

"What is thisss?" the smaller one asked.

No one answered them out loud. Inwardly, Erza thought, _Natsu's magic can be affected by his emotions even more so than most wizards… He's been conjuring the Flames of Emotion, but he's been holding it all in, so now…_ She watched him carefully as he took a ready stance, fire beginning to ripple along his body. _He's tapped into his Dragon Force._

"Last hit's mine, we clear?" Natsu asked, his sharpened teeth displayed as his lips curled into a snarl.

"Agreed," Erza said on behalf of everyone else.

There was an ugly pause before tone of the Ra'zac said, "Do you foolsss know what happens if you manage to defeat us? The consequencesss that will follow?"

"Doesn't matter to us," Leo snapped, his voice uncharacteristically harsh.

"If it's to protect or avenge our family…" Gray growled, the night air growing even colder.

"Be it the kingdom or the entire world," Lucy added.

"We would make an enemy of anyone," Erza declared.

"That's what it means…" Natsu said in conclusion, "To be Fairy Tail." Baldor and Albriech looked at their comrade and his friends in surprise, despite the present circumstances.

 _Truly, they would stand against the world on behalf of one another?_ Albriech thought. The looks on their faces in that moment gave him no doubt that they meant every word that they had just uttered.

"Ice-make: _Prison Cell!_ " Gray shouted as he cast his spell. The next thing that the Ra'zac knew, they were in a cage made of pure cold. Fairy Tail's revenge had begun.

"Face my _Purgatory Armor_!" Erza roared as she shot forward, slashing through the ice like it was no stronger than ancient glass and gouging deep wounds into the monsters from a combination of her mace and the broken prison pieces. Blue-green blood splattered onto her armor, but she ignored it as she moved aside to make room for Leo to engage them.

"Die!" the smaller Ra'zac hissed as it swung at him with its sword, its speed not diminished despite its injuries.

"You first, creep," Leo deadpanned as he swiftly dodged the blow before he took a ready stance and shouted, "Now face the wrath of an awakened zodiac! _Regulus Impact!_ " A light burst forward from his fist in the shape of a lion that lunged at its target and tore through the Ra'zac with savage strength.

"Sister!" the larger Ra'zac called out as it watched its companion going down.

"That's far enough!" Baldor snapped. "Shadow Dragon _Snare._ " Shadows leapt up from the ground to bind the monster in place with a substance that could have been described as dark tendrils.

"White Dragon _Roar!_ " Albriech bellowed, shredding through the shadowy bindings with his holy magic, and leaving the Ra'zac in a smoldering heap. In fact, both of them were completely spent, groaning and clicking on the floor in agony.

"All yours, Natsu," Gray said as he motioned for the others to get back.

"Then get out of here," he said with a growl in his throat. "This ain't gonna be like anything I've ever done before."

"What do you mean by that?" Lucy asked worriedly.

"Rrgh…" Natsu growled, his fists tightening.

"Come on, Lucy," Erza said in her commanding voice. "This is his fight. Let him finish it."

"But-"

"Let's go," Gray said as he firmly- not roughly- grabbed her arm and started pulling her along. "It's what he wants. Don't worry, he'll be fine."

"I hope so…" she finally said as she turned around to walk back towards the camp. In an even lower voice, she said, "Be safe, Natsu…"

"Even… like thisss…" one of the Ra'zac grunted as it got to its feet with its sibling. "We could kill you."

"No, you won't," Natsu said, his voice striking like a whip. "Cos I'm gonna be the one to kill you, right here, right now."

"Isss this what your little friend would have wanted?" the other Ra'zac laughed, right before letting out a faint squawking sound.

The sound came out because in the span of an eye blink, Natsu had shot forward, slammed his flaming hand through the Ra'zac's chest, and came out its back, still holding its beating heart. And in its dying moments, the Ra'zac could have sworn that it was not a boy, but a red dragon that was standing before it.

"Huh, weird," he said as the other Ra'zac looked at him with shock. "I wasn't sure you monsters had hearts." Then he yanked out his hand after burning the beating organ to a crisp, causing his hated enemy to finally fall to the ground, dead. "And her name was Lisanna."

" _What_ are you?" the other Ra'zac asked him with fear.

"I told you," the boy snarled, gathering his magic power between his hands, his eyes glowing a deep red for just a moment. Shimmering like a mirage behind him, the form of a massive scarlet dragon took shape, causing the last Ra'zac to tremble with fear. "I'm Natsu Dragneel, Son of Igneel. And I am the end of anyone who would hurt Fairy Tail."

"Die, Natsu Dragneel!" the Ra'zac screamed.

" _Alagaesian Dragon Slayer Secret Art!_ " Natsu bellowed in return as he raised Zar'roc high above his head. " _Dragon Rider's EXPLODING FLAME BLADE!_ " A raging inferno billowed out from the ancient sword, lighting up the forest for miles. The sound was so loud, no one but Natsu heard the Ra'zac scream.

* * *

High above, in the dark of the night, two pairs of eyes watched. The sight filled them with cold fury, of course, but it was plain that even two such as they could not defeat the human boy. But then, he didn't seem quite human. Something about the way that he moved, something in the way that he smelled…

They spoke no words, but by the same consent, they flew away, ready to make their report to the one that needed to know what had become of his favored servants.

* * *

It was near dawn when Natsu trudged back into camp with hollow eyes, his Dragon Force depleted. Everyone but Brom looked up at him expectantly, some of them looking him over for any signs of major injuries. "It's done," he said wearily as he walked over to Lisanna's body, dropping Zar'roc on the ground as he did.

Gathering her limp body in his arms, he pressed his forehead to hers and began to cry, his tears glowing like embers in a dying fireplace. Happy clutched onto the dead girl's shoulder and cried bitterly alongside his partner. Wendy and Lucy held onto one another in tears even as Carla tried to comfort her Dragon Slayer while Gray just looked away, his face unreadable. Erza was sitting against a log, her legs curled up against her chest as she rocked back and forth while murmuring something quietly to herself.

Albriech and Baldor were both kneeling in prayer to the gods, begging her safe passage to the afterlife while the stranger, Murtagh, grimly observed the proceedings with Eragon, whose heart ached for his friends, feeling powerless to do anything to help them.

And so the reunited team and new friends alike mourned the passing of Lisanna, Fairy Tail takeover mage, foster mother of Happy, and the first love of Natsu Dragneel.

"We need to move," Gray finally said after about an hour of relative silence. When most of the others looked at him with questions in their eyes, he added, "Eragon here filled me in on what's been happening while Natsu was dealing with those things… If what he said is true, it won't be long before people from this Dras-Leona place come looking for us. We need to get as far away from them as possible."

"We're not leaving Lisanna here like this," Natsu snapped, still not looking up from her body. "I gotta bury her, man."

"We can't do that here," Erza said as she stood up and wiped her eyes. "We need to get moving. Once we've put some distance between us and them, we can take care of her."

"We don't enough horses for all of us," Baldor shook his head. "Not even if we ride double."

" _I can carry the old one, since he is no condition to ride one of those deer-things,"_ Saphira offered as she indicated Brom, who was still out of commission from the wound he had received at the hands of the Ra'zac. " _If you make a litter to lay him on, I can carry him that way._ "

"What about Lisanna?" Natsu asked insistently.

"Give her to me, Natsu," Erza said as she flexed the wings of her Black Wing Armor. "I'll fly above with the dragon and keep an eye out for danger."

"Will you be able to sustain yourself for that long?" Lucy asked worriedly.

"I can if I must," Erza said firmly. "I won't leave her behind- she deserves a proper resting place."

"… Kay," Natsu said reluctantly. "Happy, you up for a flight?"

"I… I don't wanna move…" the little blue cat sniffled as he stood up so that Natsu could hand their friend over to Erza. "But… she would, if she was here. So I'll do my best."

"Thanks, l'il buddy," Natsu said appreciatively. After a moment of quiet, he added, "I'm really glad to see you guys again."

"We are too, man," Gray said with a faint smile, though the circumstances forbade him from doing anything more. "But let's save the story-telling for later, okay?"

"Yeah," Natsu nodded thickly.

"I will carry Wendy as long as I can," Carla declared. "And by my count, you have five horses, no? That should be plenty enough now."

"Five?" Wendy asked hoarsely.

"I took the liberty of picketing my horse next to yours," Murtagh said as he indicated white-gray horse. "That's Tornac, my faithful steed."

"Good," Erza nodded. "Eragon, was it? Can you ride?"

"Aye, though likely not very fast," he said as he stood with Baldor's help.

"No matter, we'll make do with what we can," Erza said.

* * *

After making a litter for Brom, Murtagh helped Eragon into his saddle, while Baldor and Albriech finished packing their things into the bags before getting onto their own horse. Lucy took to riding Snowfire while the Ice-make wizard hopped onto the gray horse that Natsu had been riding.

"What's this guy's name?" he asked his pink-haired guild mate.

"Gray," Natsu answered.

"What?" Gray asked.

"That's the horse's name," Wendy said as Carla grabbed onto her back in preparation of flight. "Natsu named it after you."

"Whoa," Gray said with wide eyes, deeply touched. "I didn't know you cared, man."

"I didn't name him that cos I missed ya," Natsu snorted. "I did it cos I hate vehicles."

"You punk!" Gray shouted angrily.

"Boys, focus!" Erza snapped. After they had both settled down, she snapped, "It's imperative that we get away from here, so act your age and get those horses moving!"

Baldor and Albriech were both astounded at the site of Natsu being bossed around so easily. Their next thought was that this Erza lady was likely more frightening than the Salamander in some way, so they had best behave themselves if they wanted to remain on her good side.

"Now let's go," Murtagh said. "We're wasting time here."

* * *

They weren't able to make it very far that day on account of Eragon's ribs, but Saphira managed to find good shelter in a series of uninhabited sandstone caves. The group managed to make it in just as the sun began to set on the land again. Erza was already on top of the rise that crested the cave network, keeping a lookout for any enemy activity.

Fortunately, there was none to be seen that day, and so she was able to help the others make camp while Wendy continued trying to heal Brom, but with little success. After a few minutes of trying to get the wound to seal up, Wendy leaned back, tired from the exercise.

"Are you all right, Child?" Carla asked her partner.

"Yeah, I just need a few minutes to rest," she nodded as she wiped sweat from her brow.

"Here," Gray said as he knelt next to her and clapped his hands together to generate a small block of ice that she could use to cool down. "Use this."

"Thanks, Gray," the little girl smiled up at him.

He returned the expression before turning back to talk to Lucy, Erza, Albriech, and Baldor. None of them were smiling, he noticed. "Hey," he said as he joined their circle. "Where's Natsu?"

Before anyone could answer, they heard a loud banging sound come from atop the hill. Once the noise had stopped, Erza said, "Natsu is burying Lisanna… Happy went up with him, and they asked that they remain undisturbed until they come down."

"Got it," he nodded. Then a thought struck him and he frowned as he asked, "Wait… Isn't it just sandstone up there?"

"Natsu is resourceful," Baldor said quietly. "And stubborn. He'll dig her a grave with his bare hands if he must."

"Sounds like you guys know him well enough," Lucy said, her voice also quiet in the grim atmosphere of the afternoon. "How long have they been here? Wendy and Natsu, I mean."

"A few months," Albriech answered. "They befriended Eragon and my father took them in since they had no place to go."

"So it appears that time moves at about the same pace in this world as it does ours," Erza said. Then she smiled a bit at the two men and said, "It was most kind of your father to take them in. I hope that circumstances allow us to meet him someday."

"Speaking of which…" Baldor frowned. "What are we to do now, Brother?"

"What do you mean?" Albriech asked.

"We did what we set out to do, and slew the Ra'zac," the shadowy wizard said. "What should we do now?"

"Hmm…" Albriech frowned. "I had not thought about that…"

"And what are we gonna do, Erza?" Gray asked the expedition leader. "I mean, we can use our magic no problem, but I don't think we've got anyone here that can cast the anima spell."

"No, but that does not mean that we won't be able to eventually," Erza replied. "For now, we must address some of the matters at hand."

"What do you mean?" Lucy asked.

"First and foremost, it seems that we have landed ourselves in another land where a dark king terrorizes the innocent," Erza scowled. "Normally, I would say that it's none of our business, but I'll assume that Natsu already involved himself in everything?" She directed the question to Albriech, who nodded immediately.

"He went after the Ra'zac because they hurt Lisanna once before," he nodded. "My brother and I had no intention of getting involved ourselves, but then…" He held up an open palm that glowed with a brilliant light. "It seems that Wendy accidentally unlocked magical abilities for the both of us, and her dragon slayer magic influenced how it developed."

"And then we asked to join Fairy Tail," Baldor added. "We know we're not real members, but Natsu agreed to treat us as though we were."

"So do you intend to come to our world when the opportunity arises?" Era asked them.

Both young men shook their heads immediately. "We have family here, in our world," Albriech said. "We couldn't just leave them and run the risk never see them again. My brother and I just wanted to show our commitment to helping the ones that helped us when we were scared of ourselves."

"Your magic frightened you?" Erza inquired.

"From what I understand, magic isn't exactly common in this world," Gray informed her. "And Eragon says that the way they use it is pretty different to ours, too. Makes sense that these guys would be scared of suddenly having magic, especially magic as destructive as a dragon slayer's."

"Our sentiments exactly," Baldor nodded. "Just a few weeks ago, my brother became so angry that he destroyed an entire ship's harbor on his own."

"Impressive that you have mastered such power in such a short time," Erza said respectfully.

"Well, 'mastered' might be putting it a little strongly," Albriech said quickly. "I didn't mean to destroy the entire harbor, but the power was there, and the moment called for it…" He shrugged. "It was a frightening experience, but I have learned from it."

"Well," Erza smiled slightly. "It's a shame that you don't consider yourselves real Fairy Tail wizards. I think that you two would make wonderful additions to our guild."

* * *

"It's not working, is it?" Eragon asked heavily as he watched Wendy still trying to heal Brom's wound.

"No…" she sniffled as she put her hands down. "The knife went too deep, as he's bleeding on the inside."

"Why not seal up the wound on the surface?" the boy asked as she leaned back, exhausted. "It must be better to do that than have him bleed out with an open wound."

"Foolish boy, Wendy knows exactly what she's doing!" Carla snapped at him, causing the young rider to flinch at her harsh tone. Saphira issued a warning growl from where she was resting, but the white exceed ignored her. "If she could have healed the old man, she would have!"

"Perhaps it has something to do with the order in which she's trying to heal him," Murtagh suggested.

"What do you mean?" Eragon asked him.

"From what I understand, Wendy here has been trying to heal the wound from the inside," Murtagh said with a thoughtful face. "But maybe if she tried it the other way around?"

"I would if I could, but I've used up too much energy," Wendy shook her head. "If I keep trying anything, I could end up sick from magic power depletion."

"Then I'll take up the slack," Eragon declared, surprising everyone there.

"What?" Carla asked, confused. "Wendy, I thought that only you know how to heal people!"

"It works different here, Carla," Wendy said as she watched Eragon move painfully to sit beside the old man. "Eragon knows some healing, and his power works different than mine. Maybe he'll be able to do what I can't…"

They all fell silent as Eragon moved to remove Brom's bandages to assess the damage done to his body. He recoiled slightly when the wound began to weep freely again, but he recovered. Putting his hand with the mark of the Riders over Brom's wound, he took a deep breath and declared, "Weise, heil!" A blue light shone form his palm and the wound sealed as though it had never been. He slumped backwards, exhausted.

"That was amazing!" Wendy said encouragingly as the young rider tried to catch his breath. "You did it!"

"I mended… the surface," he shook his head. "But whatever lies beneath, he will have to battle on his own. We've done all we can."

"Are you all right?" Murtagh asked him.

"I just… need a moment," Eragon replied, wiping sweat from his brow. "Though some food would be appreciated as well."

"I'll get some," Wendy said as she moved towards the saddlebags, leaving Carla with the two men and the dragon.

The little cat raised an eyebrow at Eragon as she said, "Now that I think about it, you don't seem too surprised to see a talking cat."

"After everything that's happened to us these last few days, a talking cat is not high on my list of surprises," the dragon rider shrugged. "Besides, you wouldn't be the first. The wings are new, but I suppose Natsu had told us about that a while back."

"Wait, there are others of my kind here?" Carla asked in shock, her mind flashing back to the events that had taken place in Extalia.

"Not exactly," Eragon answered. "In this world, our talking cats are called werecats, and they speak with telepathy magic, not by moving their mouths like you and Happy. Also, no wings."

"Hmm… Interesting," Carla muttered as Wendy returned with some bread for Eragon. He said a word of thanks to the azure-haired child before wolfing the bread down ravenously. Seeing this, the white exceed muttered, "I see whom he's been breaking bread with lately- so to speak." The speed and eagerness with which he tore through his food reminded her of a certain dragon slayer.

* * *

It was night again by the time Natsu was done. He had torn up the stone ground with his bare knuckles and laid Lisanna's body underneath the rubble that he used to carefully construct her grave. Using his fire magic, he burned these words into a slab that would serve as her tombstone:

 _Here lies Lisanna_

 _Friend to animals_

 _Loved by many_

 _A Proud Fairy Tail Wizard_

When he was done, Natsu stood at the grave, silent as the tomb that he stood upon. Happy floated beside him, his own heartache making it nearly impossible to keep himself airborne. Looking at his partner, who looked like all emotion had left him, he asked in a somber voice, "When she died… What were you two?"

Natsu didn't answer immediately, instead choosing to look up at the sky before he said, "Lisanna… She was my closest friend here, Happy… And I loved her."

"For real?" the little blue cat asked.

"Yeah," he nodded. "I know I promised that I'd find her if she went away ever again… But even though we found her in Edolas… I don't think I can find her this time… And I'm gonna miss her…" He feel to his knees, still looking up at the dark sky, where the stars were beginning to shine.

"Me too," Happy sniffled as he landed beside his partner. "I just wish… we had gotten here, sooner… Maybe then…"

"No," Natsu shook his head as he gathered his exceed in his arms. "Don't think like that, Happy. It's not what she would have wanted." The salmon-haired dragon slayer paused before he continued on to say, "I… When I built that grave for her outside of Magnolia, where we used to go every afternoon… Elfman came with me to visit one time. And I told him that he shouldn't cry, because it would have hurt her. I said…" He choked and almost stopped, but he managed to get out, "I said… Lisanna was always smiling… And that she would tell him that when he felt sad was when he needed to smile the most…"

"Aye, sir…" Happy sniffed again. "But… I don't think I can manage right now…"

"I know, little buddy," Natsu nodded, his body shivering. "I know."

And there was silence atop the hill.

* * *

Unfortunately, it seemed that fate was not done carving wounds in their hearts that night.

Gray surprised the two wizards when he vaulted over the edge of the hill, the grim expression on his face clear in the moonlight. "You guys gotta get down there," he said.

"We'll be down in a minute," Natsu said thickly.

"No, as in _right now_ ," Gray said, his voice a little harder. "That old geezer that you've been travelling with isn't looking so good. Wendy doesn't like his chances."

"What?!" Natsu exclaimed, shooting to his feet.

* * *

"Help us hold him down!" Murtagh grunted as he tried to keep the old man from flailing around. It seemed that Brom had been seized by a series of fits, and now he was thrashing around the cave violently. "He's going to hurt himself!"

"Geez, for an old-timer on death's bed, this guy has a lot of fire in him!" Gray grunted as he pinned down Brom's other arm. "What's he made of?!"

"What's going on…?" Carla mumbled as she sat up slowly and rubbed the sleep from her eyes.

"Mister Brom is taking a turn for the worse!" Wendy exclaimed as she felt his forehead. "He's burning up!"

"No!" Eragon grunted, his ribs restricting his movement and making loud speech painful. "This… can't happen! Not after what we've just endured!"

"I'm sorry, but I've seen too many people fall in battle to tell you otherwise," Erza shook her head as she gazed at the struggling man. "He hasn't much time."

Suddenly, Brom stopped thrashing and opened his eyes, casting them about wildly, seemingly unable to fix his gaze on anything. That is, until his eyes landed on Eragon. He reached out with surprising strength and grabbed the boy's arm like it was a lifeline as he grunted, "You… boy. Bring me wine…"

"Wine?!" Lucy shrieked. "Are you crazy?! You're on the verge of being a goner and you want to get hammered?!"

"I don't have time to argue…" the old man growled. "Bring me wine, dammit!"

Eragon looked at the others, at a loss for what to do. Murtagh saw this and reached for his saddlebag, saying, "Here. Take mine."

"All right," Eragon said as he proffered the drink to his mentor, who then shook his head in a negative motion, further confusing the young rider. "What now?"

"Wash my right hand with it," he ordered. "And for once in your life, don't question me, Eragon." The fact that he used his name and not the word 'boy' was enough to make Eragon forget any questions he might have had. He grabbed Brom's right hand and poured wine on his palm before scrubbing it with his sleeve. After a moment, he was intrigued to notice that there was some kind of brown dye stained into the skin on his teacher's hand.

Seeing this, Brom nodded and croaked, "Keep going. More wine." Eragon obliged him, continuing the task until he saw what Brom had been getting at, and his jaw dropped.

There, he finally saw Brom's Gedwey Insignia. "You're… You're a Rider?" he gasped.

"Haha…" Brom laughed, though it was clear that the action caused him pain. "Once that was true… but no more." Turning his feverish gaze upon Natsu and Wendy, he said, "I release you from your vows. Speak freely of my past, and be bound by your oaths no more."

"Wait, they knew?!" Eragon exclaimed as he looked up at the dragon slayers. "You knew?!"

"We did, but we couldn't tell you, or anyone really," Wendy said, her eyes downcast. "Mister Brom had us swear in the Ancient Language never to tell unless he said we could. Sorry…"

"But why…?" Eragon looked to his teacher for an explanation.

"Because… I failed," Brom replied as a tear seeped from his eye. "Natsu knew because I still bear the scent of a dragon… my dragon… My beloved Saphira…" Eragon let out a start of shock at the mention of his dragon's name, but did not interrupt the dying man. "When I was young, Eragon, younger than you are now… I was chosen to join the riders. But we were betrayed by Galbatorix, Morzan and the other Forsworn… I fought in that terrible war, all those years ago, and in doing so, I lost my Saphira…" More tears spilled from his eyes as he recalled the day that his soul had been torn in two. Even Natsu was silent, the severity of the moment rendering him speechless.

Brom fixed his eyes on his protégé, saying, "I am old, Eragon… so very old… You don't know what it's like, living so long that you look back on your life, only to realize that you don't remember most of it… Without your dragon, life is hardly worth living… Even after all this time, I grieve for my Saphira… And I still hate the king for what he took from me…"

Eragon was paralyzed by the revelations he was receiving. Yet he could not bring himself to demand answers now, not with the way that things were happening.

"Eragon…" Brom gasped, wracked by pain. "I have naught to give you but my blessing… Before this wound claims me, will you take it?"

"No, don't talk like that," Eragon tried to protest, but Brom shook his head.

"Eragon, please…" he said weakly.

The young rider hesitated for a moment, then said, "If that is your will."

"Then take my blessing, and know that you travel with the inheritance of Brom, whatever that may be worth to you," the old man smiled.

"It means the world to me, Brom," Eragon replied, tears beginning to fall from his own eyes.

"Hmm…" the old man smiled. Then he pulled Eragon close and whispered seven words in the Ancient Language to him. "Use them only in the time of your greatest need."

"Let's give them some room," Erza said, sensing that Brom was nearing his end.

"Not yet," he said firmly, surprising them all. "I have something to say to Natsu."

The boy hesitated, but he complied, moving to sit beside the old man while the others moved away. "What's up?" he asked.

"When I first met you, and even up until recently, I thought you would bring nothing but trouble to Eragon," Brom said, causing Natsu to flinch angrily. Before the boy could say anything, though, Brom said, "But now I know… You'll look after him. Won't you?"

"Yeah, of course," Natsu nodded. "I look after my friends." The words felt hollow coming out of his mouth after Lisanna's death, but they were all that he had to offer.

"Then swear it," Brom grunted.

"Huh?" Natsu asked.

"You heard me," the old rider frowned. "Swear that you will protect him, no matter what happens. Swear that you will see Galbatorix dethroned and Eragon safe from his reach."

"What should I swear on?" Natsu asked him seriously.

"What matters most to you?" Brom asked.

Natsu thought for a moment before he came up with his answer. "All right… Brom," he said as gravely as he could. "I swear to you on the name of Fairy Tail, King Galbatorix is going down, and Eragon will leave to see it happen."

Brom's eyes widened with surprise for a moment before he smiled and visibly relaxed. "Then I can die a happy man," he said. Leaning his head back, he whispered, "And now for the greatest adventure of all…"

"Not so fast," Natsu said as he got to his feet. "You don't get to go out lying on the floor like that. Not after Eragon knows what you really were."

"What?" Brom asked as the others noticed Natsu getting up.

"What's goin' on, man?" Gray asked.

Looking at Eragon, Natsu said, "We're gonna need to borrow Saphira for a bit."

"Excuse me?!" Eragon nearly shouted.

" _I am not a plaything to be passed amongst children!_ " Saphira snarled in their heads, but Natsu didn't even flinch.

"Shut it, Dragon," he snapped. Turning back to Eragon, he said, "You just found out he's a Rider, yeah?"

"What am I to do about it?" Eragon demanded.

"Let him die as one," Natsu shot back. Pointing at the saddle on Saphira's back, he said, "Let Brom die as a Dragon Rider." The boy's gaze shot back and forth between Natsu, Saphira, and Brom several times before he understood what the Prince of the Fire Dragons was ordering.

* * *

That night, Brom flew one final time. The moon was clear above the clouds that had settled over the land, granting them not only cover from enemy sight, but the peace of isolation that one could only have so high up. "You'll… take care of him…?" he mumbled both with his mouth and mind.

" _I will_ ," Saphira answered. " _Go now, old one. Be with the one that is my namesake._ "

"Thank you… Saphira," he sighed, finally at peace.

Thus did Eragon's mentor pass from the world.

* * *

Brom was buried with his staff next to Lisanna the next morning. Eragon went about the funeral a little more differently than Natsu had, though. Using his magic- with Saphira's support- he shifted the sandstone to form a seamless dome that covered Brom's body, completely cutting his body off from the outside. It would perfectly preserve his body throughout the ages to come, so long as the tomb was never exposed to air. Like Natsu, however, Eragon used his magic to carve runes into the rock to commemorate his master's passing. They read:

 _Here lies Brom_

 _Who was a Dragon Rider and like a father to me_

 _May his name live in glory_

When he was done, Eragon stepped back and said, "Thank you for everything you taught me."

After a quiet moment, Natsu stepped up to be beside him and said, "I know we never really got along, but… You were a good man, Brom. And I'll keep my promise, don't you worry. Rest easy knowing that the king is as good as gone."

"Promise?" Eragon asked as he turned to face his friend.

"What's this, Natsu?" Erza added as she stood to make a triangle.

The boy looked them both dead in the eye and said, "I made a promise to the old man on Fairy Tail's sacred name- that I'm gonna help Eragon beat this dark king of theirs, and I'm gonna make sure he's alive at the end of it all."

"You swore this on Fairy Tail?" Erza asked, taken aback.

"Yeah," Natsu nodded, his determination unwavering. "He took us under his protection- gave his life so that Eragon would be safe, and we'd have a shot at getting the Ra'zac. I owe him."

Erza seemed to wrestle with something inside herself for a moment before she said, "Then so do the rest of us."

"Wait, what?" Eragon asked.

"What's happening, Erza?" Lucy asked.

"There's been a slight change in plans," the red-haired wizard announced to her comrades. "We're staying here in Alagaesia longer than we originally thought."

"We are?" Carla asked. "Why?"

"Because a request has been made of the Fairy Tail guild," Erza declared. "We're going to help Eragon in his quest to dethrone the mad king of this land. And we aren't leaving until we've succeeded."

"You'll really help me?" Eragon asked, feeling conflicting feelings build up inside him. "But… What about your people back home?"

"They'll understand when we return," Erza answered. "When we make a promise- as a Fairy Tail wizard- we honor it, or die trying. That is how our guild has operated since the day it was founded, and how it will continue to do so if I have any say in it."

"Aye, sir!" Happy saluted her.

Turning to Baldor and Albriech, Erza smiled slightly and said, "I see that you have some makeshift guild marks there."

"Y-Yes, ma'am," Baldor nodded nervously, wondering what she was getting at.

"Seems like we're going to be sticking around for a while," she continued, reaching behind her as she spoke. "So why not make it official?" She pulled out what looked like a blank stamp pad.

"Erm…?" Albriech wondered aloud.

"Wait, you have a magic stamp?" Wendy asked with surprise.

"Of course," Erza nodded. "As an S-class wizard of Fairy Tail, I have the authority to declare someone a member of the guild. The only one able to countermand the order is Master, but I don't really think he'd have a problem with these two.

"Three," Eragon said, surprising them. When everyone stared at him, he said, "Natsu made a promise that I should have made to Brom while he was alive. This is my world, and I'm the last free Rider, so this should be my responsibility if anyone's. And if you're going to help me, then I want to be a full part of this."

" _Are you certain of this, little one?_ " Saphira asked. " _They take this to the point that they consider their members family. This will be something that you will be part of until you die, should you go through with it…_ "

"I've lost enough family for one lifetime," Eragon replied as he held out his fist for Erza to stamp. "I'd be glad to have a new one. Even if worlds separate us one day, I will forever be indebted to Natsu and Wendy, and the people that raised them. If this is a way that I can show my gratitude to them, then I gladly accept the mark of the Fairy Tail guild."

Erza's grin, already present, grew into a full smile. "Spoken like a true Fairy Tail wizard," she said as she placed the stamp over his hand. "You'll do well with us." The stamp flared to life for a brief moment before she lifted it, leaving a guild mark the same color as Saphira's scales on the Dragon Rider's hand, effectively placing it on top of his Dragon Rider's mark.

Clenching his fist on reflex, Eragon looked over at his childhood companions expectantly. They looked at one another before nodding simultaneously and stepping forward with their own hands raised.

"Eragon is right in saying that we owe Natsu and Wendy a great deal," Albriech said as he was given a white mark on his right hand.

"And that this is our world, which makes this fight our problem," Baldor added as he was given a black mark on his left hand. "And if Fairy Tail wants to make it their fight…"

"Then we'd better do the same alongside them," Albriech finished.

"Heh," Gray grinned. "Well said, guys."

* * *

The time came when the bags were packed, and the group was ready to move out. "Anything else you guys want to say before we leave?" Lucy asked Happy, Natsu, and Eragon as they stared forlornly at the graves.

Eragon shook his head and Happy just turned around and walked away. But Natsu had one last thing to say. "I'll be back, Lisanna. I promise to see you… at least… one more time."

Saphira looked back and forth between the two men for a moment before she said, " _I may not have been able to save them, but… I can make sure that they have a proper resting place._ "

Before anyone could ask what she meant, she bent forward and touched her nose to Brom's grave, and the magic-wielders gasped at the surge of energy they sensed from within her. Light flared across the old man's grave before spreading to Lisanna's.

When it faded, the group was astounded to see that each one not only had the mark of the Fairy Tail guild been added to the graves at the spot above the departed people's hearts, but the sandstone itself had been completely smoothed out and transformed into pure diamond that would allow them to see the bodies of their friends.

Brom lay still, a look of peace on his old face, as if he were finally enjoying the rest that he had so long deserved. Lisanna lay delicate and beautiful like a snowflake, her expression too, one of peace.

" _Now they can truly rest in peace, for not even time can ravage them,_ " Saphira said as she backed away.

"Saphira," Natsu said, his voice husky.

" _Yes, Salamander?_ " she asked.

He turned to her before hugging her foreleg, tears running down his face as he sobbed, "Thank you… Thank you… Thank you…" Happy joined him in hugging the blue dragon, who looked unsure of what to do, until she found herself gazing at the red-haired wizard from Natsu's world, who bowed in a mark of gratitude to the mighty fire-breather-to-be.

" _Erza, is it?_ " she asked.

"That is my name," the requip wizard nodded solemnly.

" _Do you… have room for one more dragon in Fairy Tail?_ "

* * *

 **Fairy Tail: Merry Christmas everyone!**

 **Levy: Be sure to check out the debut of the Legacy of Korra on January 1st, 2017!**


	26. Catching Up

**A/N: I am currently fighting a nasty cold, but I decided to put my sick days to use in doing some writing for you guys. So let's see how Natsu and the others are doing after last chapter, eh?**

* * *

Catching Up

As the regrouped Team Natsu rode across the land of Alagaesia, Wendy spent a good deal of the time filling in Erza, Lucy, Gray and the exceeds on what had happened while they were in Eragon's world. While she spoke with the other wizards, Natsu mostly stayed silent, his expression grim and very… un-Natsu.

Happy was similarly quiet, but he was still more inclined to join a conversation if he heard something that interested him. Murtaugh also remained quiet while the others talked, though it seemed more because he was a silent person than out of depression. Natsu basically said nothing while the group rode towards a city called Gil'ead.

According to Saphira, Brom had told her of a man that lived in the city that could take them to the Varden, which they all felt was their best option at this point. Killing the Ra'zac was sure to have angered the king, so they were fully committed to their path now.

"So Erza, what happened with Fairy Tail after you all made it back?" Wendy asked at one point during the ride.

"When it became apparent that you had not come through the portal with us, we began to send out search parties," Erza replied. "We searched the lands surrounding Magnolia for a couple of weeks with the help of Lamia Scale and Blue Pegasus."

"But then I had a vision," Carla explained. "In it, I saw you and the Salamander locked in combat with a pair of dark creatures, which we now know were the Ra'zac."

"I described the monsters to Grandpa Crux," Lucy interjected. "He took a while, but eventually he came to the realization that the creatures weren't from our world. He couldn't get a name for them either, or anything else really, just that they were rumored to be all but immune to magic."

"Then how did you know which world we were in?" Wendy inquired.

"We didn't," Gray shrugged. "But Gramps went through some of Mystogan's stuff that he left behind in our world, and he figured out how to set up an Anima spell. He even postponed the S-class trials to focus on the project."

Natsu's ears pricked up at the mention of the sacred trial, but he neglected to comment on the matter.

"So, how did you know how to find us?" Wendy cocked her head.

"We simply took a gamble," Erza admitted flatly. "We hoped that once we neared the portal that you would be closest to, we would be able to sense your magic power. As it turns out, we were right."

"But, what if you hadn't been able to?" Wendy sweatdropped. "You could have been trapped in an entirely different place with no way to get back!"

"You do know which team you're talking to, right?" Lucy grinned slightly. "Reckless seems to equal success for our little band."

" _You all seem to possess equal amounts of foolishness, luck, and skill,_ " Saphira commented from where she was hiding in the trees nearby. " _Yet I have seen it in action, so I cannot doubt your success._ "

"And it's contagious," Baldor smiled slightly. "When we get home someday, we are going to have a hard time convincing anyone that this actually happened."

"I was thinking the same thing," Eragon said wryly. His ribs were still in rough shape, even with Wendy's best efforts. She had told him that morning that it would take at least a week for them to heal properly, even with a daily healing session.

"Well, if nothing else, I imagine they would have a hard time arguing with Saphira and our Dragon Slayer magic," Albriech said.

* * *

It was about an hour before the sun set when the group decided to make camp near the edge of the tree line. The rest of the team made camp quickly while Murtagh and Baldor went hunting for food.

As expected, Natsu set a fire and went to sit against a log, staring blankly at the afternoon sky, his expression still a bleak one. " _I shudder to think what fate has in store for you to be humbled._ " Brom's words echoed in his head, stinging the ache that was already present in his heart.

Off to the side, Lucy and Gray looked on at the fire wizard with concern. "Do you think… he's gonna be okay?" she asked her icy companion.

"Normally I'd say that he'd be fine, but the only time I've ever seen him like this was after Lisanna was killed- er, she was taken away by the anima," he replied. "He was pretty depressed about it for a few weeks, then he just went back to being himself, but I know he was forcing it at first. I guess as time went on, he just learned to live with it. But…"

"But what?" Lucy turned to look at her friend.

"Losing her again like this has got to be even worse," Gray said quietly. "Especially since…" He fell quiet. They had all been made aware of Natsu's situation with Lisanna once Wendy had told them about it, though she mostly avoided the subject out of respect for the other Dragon Slayer's feelings.

"Yeah… poor guy," Lucy said softly. "Should we go talk to him?"

"I probably shouldn't," Gray shook his head as he casually tossed his shirt on the log next to him. "Knowing us, I'll end up saying something that he misunderstands, and then we end up goin' at it, which is the last thing any of us need right now."

"I can see that happening," Lucy admitted. "And Gray?"

"Yeah?" he asked.

"Put your shirt back on," she said as she walked away from him. "You're a bad example for Wendy."

"Gah!" he exclaimed. "I'm not doin' it on purpose, you know!"

"Mind if I sit here?" Lucy asked as she came to stand above Natsu.

"Sure," he replied without looking at her. His dull, unenthusiastic response cut at her, but she knew she couldn't hold it against him considering what he was going through. So she just held her tongue and sat down beside the salmon-haired wizard.

"Hey, Luce," the boy said after a moment, his voice still neutral.

"Yeah, Natsu?" she asked.

"Thanks for comin' to find us," he said, though he still didn't look away from the sky. "It means a lot to me."

"You know we'd do it for anyone in Fairy Tail," Lucy smiled a bit at him, glad to see him at least talking a bit.

"Even the Thunder Legion? Natsu asked her.

"Well… maybe if Master told me I _had_ to," Lucy admitted.

"Heh," the Dragon Slayer replied. "It's good to have you here, Lucy."

"Are you saying you missed me?" Lucy teased him, but he neglected to respond, retreating back into his quiet shell. _I guess I tried a little too hard to break him out of his depression,_ she thought with a grimace. "Sorry, Natsu," she said as she stood up. "I'll leave you alone now."

"Hmm…" he mused, his dark eyes continuing to gaze at the sky. Under his breath he added, "I'll make sure to watch every sunset for you…" A tear rolled out of his eye as he pointed his thumb and forefinger above his head.

* * *

After dinner had been consumed, Erza looked over at Murtagh, who was gazing blankly at the fire, his weapons close at hand. "Murtagh," she said simply, causing his eyes to snap over to meet hers. "Are you a swordsman?"

"I am," he nodded once.

"Care to test your mettle in a little sparring match?" she asked as she summoned a sword to her hand. "I promise not to use any of my magic to make it a fair fight."

"With sharpened blades?" he said with a raised eyebrow. "I'm more than ready to have a match, but I don't want to harm you."

A slow, wicked smile crawled its way across Erza's face that sent shivers down the spines of the Earthland wizards. "You must be quite confident in your abilities to think that you could harm me in martial combat," she said.

"False modesty serves no purpose in battle," Murtagh shrugged, apparently unfazed by her words and change in attitude. "The day that we have proper sparring gear, I'll oblige you with the match you've asked for."

"I might be able to help with that, actually," Eragon said. He held out his hand to Erza as he added, "Let me see your sword." She raised an eyebrow with curiosity, but she did as he asked. Once he had a proper grip on the sword, he muttered three words in the ancient language while running his fingers along the edge of the sword. Then he gave her back her blade, which she inspected with curiosity.

"What did you do?" she asked. "I felt magic power being used, but I see nothing changed on the blade itself."

"I set an invisible guard on it," Eragon explained. "I can undo it once you've finished your match."

"Interesting," Erza muttered as she touched the guarded edge with her gauntlet. "This will do." Her eyes sparked with a challenge as she aimed her gaze at Murtagh again. "Well, Murtagh? Are you ready to face me now?"

The man's right eyebrow went up as he stood, drawing his hand-and-a-half blade with a fluid motion. "So long as Eragon can guard my sword as well, I shall be most interested to see whether or not your confidence is warranted, Lady Scarlet."

"Uh… should we stop them?" Wendy asked nervously. "I know Eragon might be able to match Erza if she's not using any magic, but Mister Murtagh might be in over his head."

"You wanna try to stop 'em kiddo, be my guest," Lucy shrugged. "I tried that a few times, and all I got was bruises for it."

"Isn't Erza the red-haired demon that Natsu always wants to fight?" Baldor said in an undertone to his brother as the two combatants got into their ready stances.

"I believe so," Albriech nodded while speaking at the same volume. "She certainly was impressive against the Ra'zac- I have no doubt that this will be interesting to watch."

Erza leaped into action, bringing her sword up for a full-powered downward slash. Murtagh didn't block, rather countering Erza by weaving to the side and slashing his own blade in a horizontal path that smacked her silver weapon away from its intended path. Stepping forward, he slammed the hilt of his sword into her abdomen with surprising speed and control. Even though her armor blocked a direct hit, there was enough force in the blow to sending her stumbling back a couple of paces.

"If that's as fast as you can move without your magic, this bout is going to be very one-sided," Murtagh told her.

"Hah…" Erza grinned. "I'm impressed. "I was planning on going easy on you, but now I see that was foolish of me. I'll not allow it to happen again."

"Hmph," Murtagh shrugged. "Less talk, more fight."

"As you wish," Erza said. She then erupted into a blur of motion, Murtagh responding in kind. They traded blow after blow after blow, their speed and ferocity surprising each other as much as the onlookers.

"I'm impressed," Erza panted at one point as they stood a few paces away. "I'd forgotten what it was like to fight evenly with blades only, not using my magic power."

"Your skills are quite remarkable as well," Murtagh acknowledged. Then they were back at it again, dancing at the edge of the firelight, the music of their clashing swords accompanying their duet.

* * *

The winner of the fight surprised most of the group.

Erza went for a two-handed swipe at Murtagh's abdomen, shifting the angle at the last moment to try and smack his sword from his hand. But with an incredible show of strength and discipline, the raven-haired man locked blades with Fairy Tail's Titania before he worked the angle to run his blade down the length of her sword and force it into the dirt.

Even as her eyes widened in surprise, Murtagh whirled inside the reach of her attacks and used his boot to kick her armored hand and force her to drop the sword. He then drew his own sword to be parallel to her neck and said in a low voice, "Dead." Then he leaped back nimbly, out of range for her to hit him. "A fine display of swordsmanship," he added as he handed his sword to a surprised Eragon. "But mayhap you rely more on your magic for combat that your blades."

"That may very well be, but you are the first swordsman to best me in an even match like that," Erza said as she moved to pick up her sword. She ignored the dumbfounded looks that everyone was throwing her as she moved to shake hands with the young man. Even Natsu had snapped out of his stupor long enough to be amazed by the fact that Erza had just lost a fight.

Murtagh shook hands with Erza as he replied, "I have no doubt that were we fighting without restraint, I would lose. Still, a victory is a victory."

"I've never seen swordplay like that before!" Baldor exclaimed. "Where did you learn?"

"And you've seen much swordplay?" Murtagh asked dryly. Before Baldor could reply, he answered his question by saying, "I learned from an old friend of mine- more like a father if I'm being honest."

The group sensed that it was a touchy subject for him, so no one decided to press the matter.

Instead, Erza sat down at the edge of the fire to stir the embers and revitalize the blaze. "So, how long until we reach this Gil'ead place?"

"A few weeks," Eragon answered. "Wendy says I won't be good to travel hard for at least another week, which is going to slow us down quite a bit for the next few days. After that, we have to cross the plains of Alagaesia, which is going to be the long part. Worst of all, Saphira won't be able to stay close by since we'll be out in the open."

" _A fact that I remain thoroughly displeased about_ ," Saphira snorted. " _You always end up in trouble whenever I'm not around._ "

"That may be true, but we have Fairy Tail with us now," Eragon reminded her as he showed off his sapphire blue mark. "I'll be fine, Saphira. Honestly, I don't see why you're so worried."

"Natsu gave his word that Eragon will see Galbatorix dethroned," Erza said to the blue dragon. "He will be safe in our care, have no fear."

" _That is like telling a mother not to worry about her child,_ " Saphira replied shortly.

"But didn't Eragon raise you?" Albriech pointed out.

Saphira growled, baring her sharp teeth to the blond magician. " _Do you really think I need protection?_ " she asked him slowly.

"Perhaps." The word was spoken by Murtagh.

Saphira swung her long neck over to look at him as she snapped, " _If you have something to say, two-legs, say it._ "

"Simply this," Murtagh replied in a neutral manner as he stared into the fire. "Thus far- according to what Wendy has told us- Fairy Tail is the only one to come here."

"Yeah, what about it?" Gray asked with a frown, not liking the direction that the conversation was taking.

Murtagh's eyes were like steel as he asked, "What is to keep those with less than honorable intentions from following you? Especially those with a grudge against your guild?"

No one answered.

* * *

Somewhere across the Great Plains stood a solitary figure, dressed in black with a single white sash over his shoulder. He looked young, perhaps in his teenage years, and his face was etched with the shadows of eternal sorrow. His hand was trembling as he placed it on a tree, then yanking it back as if he were afraid that it would burn him.

After repeating this a few times, a soft voice emerged from his lips as he laid his palm flat on the tree, saying, "I… I can touch it… and it does not wither."

He took his hand off and looked at the night sky, the stars shining almost as if with delight. "The stars… do not seem so lonely anymore… But rather glad to be in one another's company…"

Tears fell from his face, but for the first time in countless years, they were tears of joy. "Thank you, dear Mavis," he smiled. "For freeing me."

He looked at the tree that he had touched, and placed his hand on the wood again, enjoying the simple touch of the cool bark. "I am free here, in this land…" he murmured. Then he shook his head and cast his gaze to the ground. "No, not yet… I must fulfill one obligation before I am a man free from my past."

Zeref inhaled deeply, once again enjoying the simple sensation of touch that had been denied to him for over a hundred years. "I must find Natsu… and rid this world of my greatest threat… the fire demon, E.N.D."

* * *

 **Gajeel: Well if that wasn't ominous...**

 **Levy: No kidding- I hope Lucy and the others will be okay...**

 **Gajeel: Heh, they've got Salamander over there. They'll be just fine, kid.**

 **Levy: Did... Did you just compliment Natsu?**

 **Gajeel: Breathe a word of it to anyone, and I'll rig the guild hall with a music lacryma set on loop for my music!**

 **Levy: I won't say a word!**

 **Gajeel: Heh heh... Say, do you know where that Red Swordsman creep is?**

 **Kinana: My guess is that he's hiding.**

 **Levy: Why's that?**

 **Elfman: _You offed my little sister?! Come out and take a beating like a real man!_**

 **Mira: When I get my hands on that jerk, I'm going to string him up by his entrails! _DEMON_ _SOUL TAKEOVER!_**

 **Gajeel: That's... Mirajane?**

 **Levy: I'm just gonna leave... Before stuff starts exploding.**

 **Mataras: _S_ _eeyouguyssoonIgottagobye!_**


	27. To Gil'ead

**A/N: Don't really have much to say today, so I'll just let you get to reading. As always, I hope you enjoy, and please be sure to leave a review!**

* * *

To Gil'ead

"White Dragon _Roar!_ "

"Ice-make: _Shield!_ "

"Sky Dragon _Wing Attack!_ "

"Shadow Dragon _Eruption!_ "

The cries and corresponding explosions echoed through the forest as Gray and Wendy sparred against Albriech and Baldor. This was mostly to benefit the sons of Horst, but Wendy knew that needed to work on her combat skills, too.

Erza stood off to the side, observing the proceedings with Murtagh and Eragon as the four wizards engaged in combat. The two men from Alagaesia watched in awe at the power that their comrades displayed so casually. Even having been with and fighting alongside them for several months, the young Rider was still a little shocked to be reminded that so small as Wendy had the potential to slay a dragon like Saphira.

Happy, Carla, and Saphira were out foraging for food, with Eragon acting as their recipient for any telepathic messages.

Lying down with his gaze trained on the stars was Natsu, who had been keeping to himself for the last few days. A few feet away sat Lucy, who gazed at her teammate with concern. She wanted to get him to talk about how he felt, but he just didn't seem up to the task, and she couldn't think of how to break him out of his silent shell. She just hated seeing him without that 'fire in his belly' that everyone in Fairy Tail dreaded but secretly loved about him.

 _At least Wendy seems like she's doing okay_ , she thought resignedly as she looked over at the little girl, who was settling into a stance she had never seen before.

Raising her hands above her head as she stared down Albriech, Wendy shouted, "Sky Dragon _Primal Arrow!_ " Wind gathered to her call, forming an arrow-like structure that she aimed at her fellow dragon slayer. Hurling it like a javelin, she cast the spell at Albriech, who was quick to retaliate.

"White Dragon _Holy Trident!_ " A similar weapon to Wendy's spell took shape in his hands before he hurled it to collide with her wind arrow, resulting in an explosion that left a small crater in the earth between them.

"…Not bad, kid," Albriech panted heavily.

"Not… so bad… yourself," she grinned before opening her mouth wide and inhaling a generous amount of air. Revitalized, she took her stance again and said, "But I can keep going. How about you?"

"Not fair," he grunted. "I need direct light to replenish my power."

"Our enemies aren't gonna care if you need a breather or not," Gray said as he fashioned a massive hammer with his ice magic. "That's why you gotta keep working on your endurance." He swung the weapon at Baldor before the other young man could get in a hit with his Slash attack.

He was forced to vanish into shadow to avoid the blow, and when he reappeared, he looked just as exhausted as Albriech felt. "No more," he panted, sweat dripping from his brow. "I yield."

"As do I," his brother sighed. "We are still no match for your abilities."

"You'll get there eventually," Gray smiled as he let the hammer dissolve into cold air.

"You've really come a long way," Wendy said encouragingly. "Remember Albriech, you even managed to use a Dragon Slayer Secret Art, something I couldn't even do until I received instructions on how to do it from my mother."

"Something I practically did on accident," he argued. "Honestly, I doubt I could replicate the feat even if I tried."

"Maybe once you've built up your stamina a bit more," Lucy said as she walked over. "Besides, from what Wendy's told us, most of the people in this world don't use magic of any kind, and the ones that do are usually pretty low-caliber compared to your dragon slayer magic."

"I seriously doubt that we could even best your magic, Lady Lucy," Baldor said respectfully.

"Oh please, I wish," Lucy half-laughed. "In our world, I'm pretty average when it comes to terms of raw magic power. I can barely summon two or three of my zodiac spirits in a row, and I definitely couldn't open up two gates at the same time."

"Why is that?" Albriech inquired. "Does it require more energy to summon them simultaneously?"

"Yeah, it puts an exponential strain on my power supply," Lucy nodded. "Summoning two of them at the same time uses up my magic at about three times the usual rate. At least, that's what I think would happen. I've never tried it myself- I've only ever heard of other people trying to accomplish that feat, and it usually doesn't end well."

"I must admit, I am curious about some of your spirits," Baldor said. "If it is permissible, perhaps one of these days, we might have an opportunity to spar with one of them?"

"Sure, I don't see why not," she shrugged. "I'm sure Leo, Taurus, or Scorpio would be happy to try sparring with you. Just, promise you won't go too hard on them. They're like family to me."

"You have our word," Albriech promised as he sat by the fire.

"Loke might be a little too much for 'em," Natsu said. The others' gaze snapped over to him, surprise on their faces. It was the first time since Lisanna's death that he had volunteered his own input for a conversation.

He said nothing else, however, and he continued his gaze up to the stars, silently pondering his own counsel.

Once Eragon's ribs were healed, he began practicing swordplay and magic again, the former with Murtagh as his partner. It was a surprise to the two of them when they discovered that they were equally skilled with a blade. So even in skill were they in fact, that when they fought side-by-side, the Heaven's Wheel armor that Erza wore was put to the test. She did not summon vast arrays of swords with her magic when they fought, but she did fight with two blades in addition to having her speed and strength increased.

Albriech and Baldor continued their training with Gray and Wendy, even managing to spar with Taurus and Scorpio on a few occasions. They never managed to outright defeat the spirits, but Lucy's power also did not last long enough for them to have a proper fight. Also, Lucy had the feeling that the two brothers were holding back significantly- not out of a sense of pride, though. More like a lack of proper motivation.

 _I guess a dragon slayer is a dragon slayer_ , she grinned to herself. _If you want them to give their all, you gotta get 'em fired up first._

* * *

It took them about a month to reach Gil'ead. During this time, the group became good friends with Murtagh, especially Eragon, who was growing to miss Roran more and more with each passing day.

The young rider also began to have strange dreams that haunted him throughout his day. In them, he would see a woman of exquisite beauty, lying in a prison cell. Sometimes she was passed out, sometimes she was awake, but often it was clear that she was in some kind of torment, physical and spiritual. He mentioned the visions to the others, many of them showing concern for this unknown woman.

Happy, of course, made his usual trademark comment about Eragon's infatuation with the woman, which earned him a kick to the face from Erza and Lucy simultaneously.

Natsu slowly began to come out of his shell towards the end of the trip, even going so far as to spar with the others a few times. However, he still remained quiet most of the day and kept to himself a lot. Happy was the one he talked to the most, and it was usually in lowered tones.

The one thing that surprised all of them was when Murtagh announced that as soon as they made contact with the agent of the Varden, he would leave them.

"How come?" Natsu asked him. "Don't like us anymore?"

"Far from it," Murtagh shook his head. "But if I came into direct contact with the Varden, it would not end well for either me, or you by extension."

"Why?" Eragon pressed. "I thought you hated the Empire."

"I do, but I'm not on the Varden's side in this, either," the other young man said defensively. "I'm looking out for myself right now."

"C'mon man," Gray frowned. "You know that if you're on the run from the Empire, they'll catch up to you eventually. Unless you find some powerful friends to hide you from the king, you're gonna end up in a lot of trouble."

Murtagh hadn't told them his reasons for leaving the Empire directly, but it was clear that he wanted to avoid any and all entanglements with the army. Which was why it seemed strange to the others that he would not want to seek sanctuary with the Varden, the only standing opposition to Galbatorix's kingdom.

"Let him be," Erza said in a slightly commanding tone. "If he does not wish to go to the Varden, we cannot force him. And if he does not want to divulge his reasons for doing so, it is not our place to pry, either."

This pretty much settled the argument.

The day quickly came when the walls of Gil'ead were less than an hour's ride away, and it was time for the group to part. "Perhaps I should go to speak with this Dormand fellow," Murtagh suggested. Dormand was the name of the informant Brom had told Saphira to contact before his death so that she and Eragon could get to the Varden.

"I thought you didn't want to have anything to do with the Varden?" Gray asked.

"I don't want to _go_ to the Varden," Murtagh said. "My point is, we've all seen the wanted posters for Eragon and the rest of you," he made a gesture in the general direction of Team Natsu. He was right- the few towns that they had visited had wanted posters with images of Eragon, Natsu, Wendy, Albriech, and Baldor. "No one will be looking for me," he continued. "So I'm the likely candidate for this job. No use risking your necks unless you have to."

"I'll go with you," Gray said. "I haven't seen any wanted posters of me or Erza."

"What about us?" Happy suggested. "Carla and I don't have any wanted posters, either."

"Talking cats are not exactly common here, Happy," Carla rolled her eyes. "Honestly…"

"I know, I just wanted to be helpful…" the little blue exceed said with his head lowered.

"You are helpful, little buddy," Natsu grinned slightly as he patted his best friend on the head. "You've helped make me feel better. That counts for a lot."

"I'll say," Gray chuckled at his rival. "It's a little too quiet without our Salamander around."

"Perhaps I should go with you," Erza suggested to Murtagh. "The more people there are, the better for our security."

"Maybe, but this Dormand might frighten if too many strangers approach him," Eragon pointed out. "I think two people should be the most we send."

"In that case, I'll take Gray with me," Murtagh said. "He's more likely to fade in people's memory than Erza's red hair… no offense, milady."

"None taken," she chuckled. "You make a fair point."

"If that's settled, we'd better head out," Gray said as he looked up at the noon sky. "If we're gonna find this guy and make it back before dark, we're better off heading off now."

"All right," Murtagh said as he hopped up into his saddle. "Set up a camp here- we'll be back."

"If you're not back by midnight, we're coming in after you," Natsu said as he slammed a fist against his other palm. "Army or not, we're not losing anyone else."

"Very well," Murtagh nodded as Gray hopped onto Snowfire. "We'll be back soon."

* * *

They were not back 'soon'. It was well past dark when Natsu leaped up from his position on the ground and growled, "That's it. I'm goin' after 'em."

"It's not midnight yet, and if we go in now, we run the risk of exposing them to the army," Erza cautioned him.

"Try and stop me," Natsu snapped. "I'm not letting another member of our family die on us." The atmosphere grew very tense, mostly from the fact that his tone indicated that his statement towards Erza was a genuine challenge. The problem was, even if she _could_ stop him, did any of them really have a right to?

"Natsu, you have to have faith in Gray and Murtagh," Lucy said gently. "Gray's never let us down before, and I don't think he will now."

"Rrgh…" Natsu scowled with his arms folded as he sat down.

A moment later, hoof beats began to approach the camp at a rapid pace. The wizards all got to their feet in preparation of a fight while Saphira rose to her haunches, her lips curled back to reveal her teeth to any enemies that might be approaching.

However, they all quickly calmed down when they saw Gray and Murtagh riding into the campsite. Though if the grim expressions on their faces were anything to go by, things did not bode well for them.

"Were we followed?" Murtagh asked as he swung down from the saddle.

"Not that I can tell," Eragon said as he reached out with his mind in the direction that they had come from.

"Good, then get us something to eat," Gray said as he slumped on the ground, exhausted. "We haven't had a meal all day."

"I'll get some bread," Lucy said as she sifted through their supplies. "Wendy, do we have any of that stew left over?"

"Yeah, I'll get it," the little girl nodded.

"What happened?" Albriech asked as the two men started wolfing down the bread hungrily. "Did you not find Dormand?"

"Nah, we found him," Gray said after swallowing some water from his canteen. "He says that he'll meet with Eragon in the morning, and if he's convinced that he really is a Rider, he'll take us to the Varden."

"So what's the problem?" Erza asked.

"Problem is, someone else saw Murtagh, and worse, he recognized him," Gray said, his expression sour. "Wasn't his fault, but the guy definitely recognized him."

"Hmph," Murtagh glowered, silently cursing his bad luck. "We may very well be in trouble now."

"Why?" Lucy asked worriedly. "Is he an informant for the Empire?"

"Not exactly," the swordsman rolled his eyes. "The man is an idiot- he has no concept of privacy or keeping things to himself. He'll vomit just about anything that is on his mind, to anyone that happens to listen. If word of us reaches the wrong ears…"

"We should get moving," Erza said as she stood up. "Once you've finished eating, we'll need to relocate our camp for the night."

"Is that really necessary?" Lucy asked with a frown.

"I'd rather be cautious and have nothing happen than the other way around," Erza muttered. "Everyone, get packed up and saddled. We're leaving in ten minutes."

"Hold on a sec," Natsu muttered as he started sniffing at the air. "Something smells off."

Following his lead, the other slayers began inhaling through their nostrils before coming to the same conclusion. "Natsu is right, something in the wind is definitely out of the ordinary," Albriech murmured.

"It smells like-"

" _Bwargh!_ " Wendy was cut off as an urgal bounded into the clearing and swung its axe at Erza, who immediately leapt back to avoid being cut in half. Gray formed a hammer with his magic and crushed the monster with minimal effort.

" _Eek!_ " Lucy and Wendy screamed. "What is that?!" Lucy added as she reached for her keys.

"An urgal!" Natsu growled, fire coming to life in his hands.

"And he ain't alone!" Gray said as he pointed at the tree line, where a horde of the monsters were pouring out to attack them. "He brought all his buddies!"

"Hah!" Albriech cracked his knuckles. "Let them come! Fairy Tail will stand atop their corpses before the night is out!" Clasping his hands together, he gave a feral grin and shouted, "White Dragon _Holy Ray!_ " Light shot from the ball in hands, slowing the urgals' progress and forcing them to scatter to avoid being skewered.

"Wendy!" Baldor cried.

"Yeah, let's do it!" she replied as she inhaled deeply. "Sky Dragon…"

"Shadow Dragon…" he echoed. " _Waxwing Flash!_ "

" _Wing Attack!_ " The combined magics forced the urgals apart even further, and now Erza took up the cue.

"Requip!" she shouted. There was a flash of light as she called out, "Heaven's Wheel: _Scattered Petals!_ " From her winged armor, she cast forth a multitude of swords that struck down the horned monsters where they stood, many of them falling still, and others groaning in pain.

"My turn," Natsu growled glowing red eyes as he stepped up to face the remaining few that were able to fight. "From my father, the Fire Dragon King…" The others sensed enormous magic power building up inside of him, so they retreated to a safe distance by unspoken agreement before he bellowed, " _Fire Dragon DEMOLITION FIST!_ " He slammed a fist into the earth, sending forth an explosion of fire that not only wiped the urgals clean off the map, but a good acre or so of the forest along with them.

As he stood there, panting heavily, the others noticed that he was shaking violently. Thought from rage, terror, or sadness, they could not tell. All that was clear was that something had just gone wrong… very, very wrong.

* * *

Many many miles away, Zeref paused and winced. "Natsu…" he whispered. "This wasn't supposed to happen… Not like this…" Looking up at the stars, he muttered, "The nature of magic is different here… Is it possible that his seal is weakening as a result?"

Flicking the reins of his horse, he made haste towards the direction Natsu's magic power, praying that he would make it in time… Before the END came.

* * *

 **Laxus: Okay, explain something... What?!**

 **Mataras: Going to have to be a little more specific than that...**

 **Laxus: The hell's goin' on with Natsu?**

 **Mataras: Oh, that. Umm... well, it's a combination of what Zeref is theorizing as well as Lisanna's death doing things to his head.**

 **Cobra: Okay, but are you really gonna bring out E.N.D. this early in the story?**

 **Mataras: Of course not! What kind of an idiot do you take me for?**

 **Gajeel: A-**

 **Mataras: Don't answer that. Point is, as always, I have a plan.**

 **Laxus: You'd better. Cos if Salamander doesn't make it back, I'm coming for you, got that?**

 **Mataras: ...I might be scared of that if I didn't know you were a fictional character.**

 **Cobra: Next time- Demons and Dragons.**


	28. The Shade and the Wizard

**A/N: Okay guys, got something important to say! If you're not familiar with Zeref's past, this chapter will contain MAJOR spoilers. If you don't mind those, go ahead and read on. But if not... Well, I guess you'll have to be okay with it, or you're going to miss out on a pretty important chapter!**

 **Also, I'm going to be doing a livestream through my YouTube channel in about a month, so if you want to join me for that, please let me know so that I can message you with the details as the date draws closer.**

 **Now, on with the show!**

* * *

The Shade and the Wizard

Natsu was breathing heavily, sweat dripping from his body while intense heat rose in waves from his muscular frame. The others couldn't tell if he was about to collapse or go on a rampage again, but either way it was clear that the fighting hadn't done his unstable mind frame any good.

It was the sound of slow clapping that broke the relative silence in the clearing. The wizards all turned to see a tall, thin man walking out of the tree line. His appearance was unsettling, to say the least. His hair was blood-red, his eyes glowed a deep maroon color, his skin was so pale as to be nearly translucent, and his clothing clearly spoke of an arcane origin. He looked almost like a walking corpse, though the magic power that the others sensed coming from him said clearly that he was not to be trifled with.

"A splendid performance," he said as he smiled, showing pointed teeth that added further to his ominous presence. "Well done, other-world wizards. You have earned the interest of Durza… be honored."

"Go screw yourself," Natsu spat. "I don't smell anything good coming from you, so leave before you end up like your buddies."

"Hah!" the man laughed, a terrible sound. "Those beasts were not my comrades. They were mindless tools, nothing more."

"This guy's already giving me the creeps," Lucy whispered to the boys. "Should we send him packing?"

"I wouldn't try that just yet," Eragon whispered back before Gray and Erza could move forward. "Brom told me about his kind- if I'm right, we're dealing with a Shade."

"A what?" Gray asked as he tossed off his shirt.

"Shades are magicians that used to be humans," Eragon answered quickly. "But they use magic by channeling spirits, unlike us. If the human is not able to properly enforce their will over the spirits, they break free of their bonds and possess the user. Thus a Shade is born."

"They abuse spirits?" Lucy gasped, horrified. "That's terrible!"

"Brom was of the same opinion, though for different reasons," Eragon nodded.

"So much mutterings, and I have made no move to harm you," the Shade said, interrupting their exchange. "And here I came to offer an olive branch."

"And I told you to get lost," Natsu glowered, the heat coming from him beginning to intensify. "You'd better do it before I lose my temper."

"You may be strong, young one," the Shade chuckled. "However, you would be wise to hear me out, unless you wish to invoke the wrath of the king."

"Your king has already made his wishes concerning us very clear," Erza said as she requipped into her lightning empress armor. "So if you stand with him, by association you stand against Fairy Tail."

"Yes, I had heard the rumors of your little band," Durza nodded. "Now that have seen your power in battle myself, I am confident that you will join me, be it of your free will or not."

"You think you can overpower us?" Gray laughed as he slammed his fist into his palm, cold radiating from the impact. "You've got another thing coming if you thought that was even close to our full power."

"I'm not a stupid man, but from what I have seen tonight, I know that I could still overpower all of you through various means…" Durza said as he raised one of his hands. "Observe." Aiming his palm at Wendy, he snapped, "Slytha." The little girl sagged like a puppet whose strings have been cut.

"What the-?!" Gray cried out as he moved swiftly to catch her before she hit the ground. "What'd you do to her, you bastard?!"

"Do not fret, she will remain healthy- for the time being," Durza said with a shrug. "I simply put her to sleep so that she will remain… agreeable. At least, until I can deliver you all to the king. And as you can now see, there is no defense against my magic."

"We ain't goin' nowhere," Natsu seethed, slamming his fists together. "You just messed with the wrong guy, ugly."

"It's not for nothing that we're called dragon slayers, dark one," Baldor said even as Albriech stepped up beside him. "With our power, you can't hope to survive."

"Can't I?" the Shade whispered before whipping out a sword from within his robes. "Let's see you survive beyond one blow, then. After all, the king said that not all of you need survive- the little girl is the only one he really wants."

"Over our dead bodies!" Gray snapped. "Ice-make: _Lance!_ " Cold spears shot out from his hands to skewer Durza, who evaded them with surprising nimbleness.

"Is that all you have, or are you nothing but talk?" the possessed wizard laughed dryly. "I thought that you could slay dragons with your magic?" Looking at Eragon, he added, "Or is it that you simply keep one around as a pet?"

"Let's kill him," Eragon deadpanned. Insults to himself and the others he could take- but never Saphira. "Now." Saphira growled in agreement, smoke rising from her nostrils.

"I'd love to see you try!" Durza shouted, suddenly erupting into a blur of motion as he moved to hack at Baldor. The shadow dragon vanished into the night ground, out of the Shade's reach.

Fairy tail sped into action, each of them ready to fight without reserves. Off to the side, Murtagh scooped up Wendy and ran into the forest, presumably to get her away from the fighting. As a non-magician, he was in a great deal of danger, especially with the sort of enemy that faced them now.

"Hello," Albriech smirked as he raised a fist that glowed with brilliant light. "This is going to hurt." He threw his punch as fast as he could, but to his surprise, Durza caught the blow before kicking him back several paces with a brutal strength that belied his thin frame.

Still… "White Dragon _Holy Ray!_ "

"Shadow Dragon _Roar!_ " Baldor appeared behind Durza and cast his spell in unison with his brother. The Shade saw both attacks coming, so he leaped out of the way just in time for the fledgling slayers to blast each other. They lay on the forest floor, groaning in pain.

"Yo, creepy-eyes!" Natsu shouted as he leaped at Durza with flames in his hands. "Try picking on someone your level!"

"Gladly," Durza chuckled. Raising his free hand again, he spat, "Letta." Natsu froze in mid-air, suspended by Durza's magic, unable to move a muscle. "Now how do you feel about your chances, dragon slayer?"

"I think that they're just fine," Natsu grinned for the first time in a while, and suddenly Durza felt like he was missing something.

 _Crack!_ The man went flying as Saphira's tail slammed into him, likely breaking several bones in the process. He went soaring straight at Lucy, who was standing at the ready with Taurus.

"Let him have it!" she ordered.

"I'll send him to the mooooon!" the bull-spirit bellowed as he swung his axe. Before Durza could cast another spell, Taurus' giant axe had slammed into him, leaving a massive gash in his chest and sending him in yet another direction- right at Erza, who was waiting with her electric-laced spear.

"Now, die!" she shouted as she ran him through the abdomen, lightning blazing from her weapon. He jerked a few times before he fell limp and sagged to the ground while Erza retrieved her weapon, surprise on his face.

Natsu dropped to the ground, freed from the effects of the magic. "Time to make sure he's gonna stay down," he growled.

"Um, is that really necessary?" Lucy asked worriedly. This ruthlessness was definitely something new from her friend. "Pretty sure he's out for the count."

"Only one way to be sure," the pinkette snapped as fire burned across his arms. "When he's ash in the wind, then I'll be sure he's gone."

"C'mon man, that's enough," Gray said. "This isn't you."

"And what if it is, huh?!" Natsu suddenly shouted, rounding on his rival. "What if this is how I was supposed to turn out?! If life keeps hittin' me when I'm down, then maybe I oughta start hitting back!"

"Natsu, that's not the Fairy Tail way," Happy told him.

"Shut up, Happy!" Natsu snapped, shocking everyone in the area.

 _Okay, now I know something's wrong,_ Lucy thought worriedly. _He'd never treat Happy like that, no matter what. Something else is going on…_

"Natsu, you need to-"

"I said to shut up!" Natsu bellowed as he rounded on Erza, his eyes glowing red. "Unless you wanna throw down right now, Red, stay outta my way!" Scales began to emerge on his face, but they seemed different than the last time that the others had seen them- darker, more convoluted. Whatever was going on, it didn't seem to be his dragon force.

" _What is ailing him?_ " Saphira wondered into the others' minds. " _I sense a strange magic at work here…_ "

"I believe I can answer that," said a tired-sounding voice that came from the direction opposite to Durza's. Out from the trees emerged a young man on a horse, looking like he hadn't slept in days.

"Who are you?" Gray asked skeptically.

"I will answer that another time," the stranger said as he slid down from his horse. "For now, it will suffice to say that I have known Natsu for a long time, and I know what ails him."

"Ya think I'm stupid?" Nastu hissed as his fingernails began to grow into claws. "I've never seen you in my whole life!"

"Just because you don't remember doesn't mean I haven't been there, Natsu," the young man said as he stepped into the firelight. He was dressed entirely in black, save for a white sash on his shoulder. His eyes and hair were also raven-colored, and his expression was one of deep sadness.

"That's it, I'm done with mysteries and things getting in my way!" Natsu bellowed as he rounded back to Erza. "Once I'm done with Dizzy over here, I'm gonna- The hell'd he go?!" The others all looked down to see that the Shade had vanished without a trace, much to their shock.

"Unfortunately, you did not understand the threat you faced," the newcomer said calmly. "Shades cannot be killed, unless it's with a stab to the heart. Now he will only reappear in another place, he will be stronger the next time you face. Though if it's any solace to you, it's apparently a very painful process."

"Hold on a sec," Gray frowned. Things were moving way too fast, he thought. "If you know Natsu, how do you know anything about this world?"

"Advanced archive magic," the stranger shrugged. "It contains buried information not just about our world, but about Alagaesia, Edolas, and other dimensions."

"Start speaking sense, or else I'm gonna-"

"Slytha," the young man said with a wave of his hand, cutting Natsu off and putting him to sleep instantly.

"What'd you do to him?!" Lucy demanded, reaching for Leo's key. The others also prepared for combat once more, but the newcomer only regarded them calmly with his sad eyes.

"I promise that I did not harm him," he said to placate them. "I simply knocked him out before he could go berserk again."

"Yes, about that…" Erza frowned. "He's been acting more aggressive and violent ever since the death of a close friend of ours… Do you know if this is related, or is it something else? You said you knew what was happening to him."

The man regarded the quietly for a moment before he said, "Listen very carefully to what I have to tell you, and do not interrupt until I am finished speaking."

"Okay, go for it, before he wakes up," Gray said, his arms folded.

"Very well," the man nodded. "Long ago, four hundred years to be precise, Natsu Dragneel was inadvertently killed by the black wizard, Zeref." The others' eyes widened, but he held up a hand for silence, his expression going hard. He continued, saying, "Zeref's full name… was Zeref Dragneel- Natsu is his younger brother."

"That's a filthy lie!" Gray shouted, going to attack the newcomer, but Erza stopped him with a fist to the gut, though her eyes remained trained on the newcomer.

"Go on," she said, her tone sharp.

"As I was saying, Natsu was killed because of Zeref's inability to control a magic curse that had been placed on him called Ankhseram Death Magic," the young man said. "It made Zeref immortal, and granted him massive amounts of magic power- but at a terrible price. The greater a person's regard for life, the less that they can control the magic… In other words, if Zeref showed any regard for life, he would end up killing whatever or whoever he came close to.

"In an effort to control his magic, he abandoned his regard for life and found that he could control his power perfectly, which led him to become the infamous Black Wizard. I'm sure you are all familiar with the horrors he unleashed on the world because of this."

"Yeah," Gray grunted as he got up off the ground. "One of his monsters killed my master, Ur."

"My sympathies," the young man said somberly. "But in any case, during the height of his power and reign, a baby brother was brought into his life- Natsu. And just like that, he found the joy that life holds once again. He longed to be with his only family, as the mother perished in childbirth, and the father was nowhere to be found. But with his respect for life restored, his first contact with the child killed the boy instantly."

"That's where this doesn't make sense," Lucy frowned, her hand still ready to snatch up one of her keys. "Natsu's alive, right here with us."

"Yes he is," the other wizard nodded. "But not because he was resuscitated with conventional means. No, Zeref tried several ways to restore his brother to life, keeping his body preserved in a lachryma. The second-to-last attempt gave birth to the idea of the Tower of Heaven."

Erza stiffened at the mention of the tower that had taken so much away from her. She did not interrupt however, as the speaker went on to say, "He decided not to use this method, as it would destroy far more lives than it would restore.

"So he enacted something that in many ways is far worse," he said before pausing for a moment to gather his thoughts. Those words sent a chill through the others, several of them glancing down at Natsu with renewed fear.

"Zeref had created several demons to do his bidding in the past," the dark-robed wizard finally said. "So both in a bid to restore Natsu to life, and the hopes of creating someone strong enough to someday end his life and rid him of his eternal curse, Zeref created his most powerful work even unto this day- the demon called E.N.D. …Otherwise known as Etherious Natsu Dragneel."

The looks of fear transformed into pure horror as they looked down at the pink-haired dragon slayer. The man pressed on, saying, "His work proved successful, but as an infant, E.N.D. needed time to mature to the point where his power would be enough to strike down the Black Wizard once and for all. Knowing that Natsu could still be very well killed by the curse, Zeref made a deal with the Dragon King, Igneel. Natsu would be trained as a dragon slayer to help destroy the Black Dragon, Acnologia to both ensure the revenge of the dragons and so that Zeref would not inadvertently kill his brother again. In addition to this, Zeref put every bit of his knowledge and power into placing a seal inside Natsu's mind to lock E.N.D. inside his psyche until it was the right time to kill Zeref.

"Once Natsu had enough knowledge about dragon slaying magic, he and four others were sent into the modern era using Zeref's magic, where ethernano had a stronger presence, and they would have a better chance at defeating the Dragon of the Apocalypse."

"So you're saying…" Eragon whispered.

"Perhaps as a result of the nature of magic in this world, or the trauma of losing his friend, or a combination thereof, the seal has begun to crack," the man nodded, confirming their fears. "E.N.D. is perilously close to breaking free prematurely."

"Is there a way to get rid of the demon?" Carla asked, her voice strained.

"Not without killing Natsu," the man shook his head. "Not yet. And although I know of the seal, I cannot replace it unless it is completely broken, and by that point, Natsu will be too strong for anyone to stop. I only have one other solution at the moment."

"What's that?" Happy asked.

"Using the Ancient Language of this world, I can condition Natsu's sub-conscience to forcibly repress his E.N.D. form," the young man said. "It will be difficult, but I am confident of this method's success, at least until I find a more permanent solution."

The others looked at one another, unsure of what to do now. Eventually, Lucy took her hand off of her keys and walked up to be eye-to-eye with the somber stranger. "Will this hurt him or his ability to use magic?" she asked.

Without blinking, he answered, "If he tries to fight the spell I will place on him, yes, there will be pain, but not an excruciating amount. As for his magic power, when the conditioning is activated, it will force his body to lower his magic power temporarily, but only by a small amount. Once he recovers, he will regain his full strength."

"Okay, say we let this happen," Gray frowned. "What if E.N.D. does happen to break out? Will the spell work then?"

"I do not know," the stranger said. "It is possible, but if the monster is released, nothing will be certain."

"Understood," Erza said slowly. Turning to the others, she asked, "What do you think? Should we trust this man?"

"No," Gray shook his head. "But he might be our only shot at keeping Natsu normal for now."

"I'm with Gray," Lucy nodded. "I'd trust this guy about as far as Happy could kick him, but I don't think we have much of a choice."

"My thoughts exactly," Carla nodded.

"Hey…" Happy said, his ears drooping for a moment. However, they straightened when he looked up at the stranger and said, "There's just one thing I wanna know…"

"Yes?" the young man asked.

"How'd you know Natsu and Zeref's last name?" the blue exceed asked suspiciously. "He always told me that Igneel gave it to him, but you're saying that he was born with the name. How would you know that?"

The atmosphere, already tense, became thick as gravy. The others turned slowly to look at the pale young wizard, whose shoulders slumped considerably. "For a creature with such an innocent appearance, you certainly have keen eyes," he sighed. "I had hoped to avoid this, but I suppose it can't be helped now…

"I am the Black Wizard, Zeref Dragneel."

* * *

 **Laxus: Whoa...**

 **Elfman: Spoken like a real man.**

 **Gajeel: You serious with this? The kid's a genuine demon?**

 **Makarov: It would seem so... Hmm, this poses a very real problem for our band.**

 **Levy: _That's_ what you're worried about?! _Zeref is there!_**

 **Macao: well, according to the Black Wizard, Natsu is probably even stronger than he is if he's unsealed, so...**

 **Romeo: No way, guys! I believe in Natsu and the others! They'll figure this out, whether Zeref is there or not!**

 **Kinana: Next time- Pact with the Devil.**


	29. Pact with the Devil

**A/N: I can see a lot of you going, 'Wait, what? Two new chapters in a row?' I know that this is a bit unusual, but I decided that the last chapter was just a little too cruel to leave you all hanging on for more than a month, so here you go!**

 **Also, to ssjgodGohan, I believe that you are correct- I did botch the origin story on Zeref and Natsu a bit, but I've decided to leave it as is, since the essence is the same; Natsu died, Zeref done messed up, and now we have E.N.D. to deal with.**

 **Now, let's see how our favorite Fairy Tail team handles this new predicament...?**

* * *

Pact with the Devil

Fairy Tail stayed still all of two seconds.

"Kill him!" Erza shouted, lunging at the Black Wizard, whose eyes narrowed quickly.

"Malthinae!" he barked, and Erza found herself suddenly unable to move or even speak. Switching his gaze to others, who were all readying magical attacks, he extended his hand and exclaimed, "Skolir eka fra bullts!" The magic projectiles all shattered or otherwise dissipated as soon as they came within five feet of the wizard.

"That won't stop us!" Albriech exclaimed as he readied another energy burst, causing Zeref's scowl to deepen. " _Holy Trident!_ " A lance made of light sprung from above his head and shot straight towards Zeref's heart, but he made no move to dodge.

Instead, he gave the novice magician a flat stare as he muttered, "Ganga." The spear suddenly reversed directions and slammed into the ground at Albriech's feet, causing an explosion substantial enough to fling him back, knocking him out cold against a tree.

"Get him, Scorpio!" Lucy ordered as the scorpion-like spirit appeared to give Zeref a blast of sand from his tail.

Zeref looked like he was past annoyed at this point. Aiming his palm at the oncoming sand funnel, he shouted, " _Istrali!_ " White-hot fire splashed against the sand, turning it into glass as soon the magic energies clashed. Glaring at everyone, he snapped, "Enough of this! I come not to harm, but to help! Natsu's essence as we know him hangs in the balance!"

"Why should we believe you?!" Gray demanded. "You're responsible for the deaths of everyone I loved, including my master and my parents!"

"Not to mention the Tower of Heaven that imprisoned Erza, took countless lives, and nearly destroyed Fiore!" Lucy added, since Erza was still gagged by Zeref's magic.

"I do not deny these wrongdoings!" Zeref cried. "I seek only to make amends for my crime against Natsu! Once I have found a way to free him, you may strike me down for all that I have done! I just want to save my little brother!" His words caused the others to pause for a moment.

"How can we trust you?" Baldor asked. "Based on what our friends have told us, your word is all but meaningless."

" _There is a way_ ," Saphira said. " _A_ _n ancient way..._ "

"The Ancient Language," Eragon said aloud. "Of course, Saphira!"

"What are you talking about?" Gray asked, his eyes still trained on his hated enemy.

"When speaking the Ancient Language, it's impossible to lie," Eragon explained. "Which means that any promises he makes while speaking it will be forever binding, even unto death."

"Ah, yes…" Zeref nodded. "You are correct, young rider. If that is what it takes, please, specify what you wish me to swear, and I shall accommodate."

"Hold on, you sure about this, Eragon?" Happy cautioned. "This guy is even worse than Galbatorix and Durza put together, hard as that might be to believe. You're just gonna take his word for it?"

"I will, if he binds himself with the language of the elves," Eragon stated, his eyes never leaving Zeref's. "If he truly means us no harm, these words will banish any doubt I have."

"Rrgh…" Gray scowled. "All right, but first he lets Erza go."

"Will she attack me if I do?" Zeref asked.

"No, she won't… will she?" Lucy asked the red-head a bit nervously.

Erza could not move to shake her head or speak, but her eyes told her comrades that she would comply… probably. "She'll be fine as long as you don't try to hurt any of us," Gray said after a moment. "Let her go."

"As you say," Zeref nodded, lowering his hand and mentally releasing the spell. Just as Gray had predicted, Erza dropped to the ground without a sound, though she did not put away her sword.

"Proceed, Black Wizard," she said in a low voice.

"First, Eragon's conditions," Zeref reminded them.

"Very well, there are four things which you must promise," Eragon said. "One, you will swear not to kill any of us here. Two, you must promise to give Natsu's condition top priority in your life until it is cured. Three, you will swear that even if you decide to leave after you are done helping Natsu, you will return once you have found a permanent solution for his condition that does not involve killing him. And four, you will never ally yourself with Galbatorix or his Empire in any way."

Zeref nodded to himself after Eragon was done speaking. "Very well, I shall do as you have asked."

"Wait," Baldor said before the wizard could begin to make his oaths. "There is a fifth condition, one that I will add myself."

"Which is…?" Zeref asked.

"You will return to Carvahall with Albriech and myself," he said, stunning everyone that was present. "You will remain under our watch so that we can be sure that you are not up to anything of evil intent."

"Are you crazy?!" Happy shouted.

"This man is one of the most destructive forces in history, and you want to invite him into your home?!" Carla added. "Have you abandoned your wits?!"

"No," Baldor said, his voice hard. "But someone has to keep an eye on him, someone who understands the situation."

"I have no objections to this, nor do I plan to cause anyone any harm," Zeref said somberly. "I have caused enough suffering for too many lifetimes. I don't want to cause any more."

"Okay, one last thing," Gray demanded. "How'd you even get here? Why'd you come here at all? And how come we haven't been killed by your curse or whatever it is that you were talking about?"

"All of that can be answered by one word…" Zeref said, smiling a bit. "Mavis."

"…Wait, are you talking about Mavis Vermillion, the founding master of Fairy Tail?" Erza frowned. "If so, what does she have to with this?"

"We knew one another before she perished, and I have long been aware of her spirit's presence," he answered. "When she realized where Natsu and his friends had been trapped, she told me that it was a world with magic… but lacking in curses like the one that bound me. Here, I am free of the death curse that I have lived with for so long…"

"So you don't kill stuff on accident like you used to?" Happy asked.

"Precisely," Zeref nodded. "And instead of relying on my usual methods of magic, I decided to use this world's language for magic, save for archive magic."

"Wait, does that mean that we could use magic like Eragon?" Carla asked with a raised eyebrow.

"So long as you possess an internal spring of magic that you can access on command, yes, even exceeds can perform magic," Zeref nodded. "But please, may we continue this later? I would like to get to work on Natsu before he begins to wake."

"Yes, let's," Eragon nodded. "But first, your oaths."

"As you wish," Zeref said as he bowed to the young rider.

* * *

Several hours later, when the sun had begun to creep over the horizon, the entire group was present- Carla and Happy had gone to find Murtagh and Wendy and bring them back once Zeref's oaths were in place- and the Black Wizard's work was complete. During the time that Zeref was working, Baldor had taken Albriech aside and explained what he planned to do with the man once he was done.

At first Albriech had objected profusely, but when Baldor brought up his earlier points, as well as the fact that Roran would still need help developing his magic, the older son of Horst gave in. "We're not masters of magic either, but if the Empire ever decides to hit our hometown because of our actions, we'd best be there, I suppose," he muttered.

"Will we ever see you again?" Wendy asked them.

"Wiol ono," they replied in unison. For you. It seemed that in their time spent with Brom and Eragon, they had learned a few phrases in the Ancient Language.

"Thank you," she smiled lightly. "I'll look forward to it."

"Well, we are Fairy Tail wizards," Baldor grinned. "We watch for one another, even if it's from across the world."

"It is done," Zeref said as he rose from his kneeling position. He had spent the last several hours hunched over Natsu, both keeping him asleep and placing the enchantment that he had described earlier. "E.N.D. can now be subdued."

"How?" Erza asked.

"If he begins to show signs of emerging again, you need only speak a simple phrase in his presence to activate the conditioning," the older Dragneel replied. "Kneel, Dragon of Tartarus."

"That's it?" Gray asked dubiously. "You're sure that this'll work?"

"Vel einradhin iet ai vanyali ethgran," he answered.

"Meaning…?" Gray turned to Eragon.

"Upon his word as a magic-user," the rider answered. Looking at Zeref, he added, "I am satisfied. But know that your oaths hold you until I release you from them, or one these that are present does so in my stead."

"I understand," Zeref nodded. "I will accompany the young slayers to their home as soon as they are ready to depart. The only thing I ask for in return for all of this is that you not tell Natsu who I really am, nor about his hidden form… not yet. He should hear it from me, but not until I've completely righted this wrong."

"Probably wouldn't do him any good to hear that his brother is one of the most hated people in all of history…" Happy said. "Uh, no offense, Mister."

"None taken," Zeref said heavily. "He will wake in a few hours, and he should be back to normal… at least, as close to normal as he can get."

"I think we could all do with some sleep," Erza sighed. "We'll say our good-byes in the morning."

"Before we do…" Zeref said, and the others tensed up, so he quickly made a placating gesture as he added, "I wish to leave each of you with a parting gift… For the sake of you being Natsu's family when I could not."

"What'd you have in mind?" Gray asked, clearly uncomfortable with the idea of having anything further to do with Zeref.

"I wish to help each of you with your magical prowess through various means," Zeref replied. "To the rider, I will use archive magic to grant him a complete knowledge of the Ancient Language, at least as far as archive magic can grant him."

"I'll be able to speak it fluently, like you?" Eragon asked eagerly.

"It will take come practice since you are simply going to be receiving the information all at once, not like how I can access it whenever I need it, but yes, that is the idea. You will know the words by definition, but not necessarily how to use each of them in proper context, something that you will have to learn on your own," Zeref said. "To your dragon, I can grant a complete history of the dragons that lived in Alagaesia during the ages past, even before the riders."

Saphira's curiosity was piqued, but she made no comment on the matter.

"To Erza, I can grant an armor with similar properties to the Dorma Anem," Zeref continued. "It will grant her much resistance to all forms of magic, though it will require a great deal of magic power to run.

"To Gray, I offer the power to slay your worst nightmares," he added. "Should you choose to accept, you will receive the magic power of an Ice Demon Slayer."

"Would it work against you?" Gray asked with a smirk and hint of black humor.

"No more than the next wizard," Zeref replied flatly. "You will still be able to use your ice-make magic, if that makes you feel any better."

"Maybe a bit," the cold wizard admitted.

"Hey, what about us?!" Happy demanded as he pointed at Carla. "Why do we always get forgotten?"

"I already have my clairvoyance, thank you very much," the white exceed sniffed. "I don't need any help from a shady character like Zeref!"

"I was going to offer you the same gift as Eragon- and Lucy- but if you wish to remain as you are, that's fine, too," Zeref shrugged.

"I want in on that!" Happy exclaimed.

"I guess I won't say no if Eragon doesn't…" Lucy said, though it was with some degree of apprehension.

"It could be useful…" Carla admitted begrudgingly.

"To Wendy, I offer something more... complex," Zeref said hesitantly, and they way that he did so made everyone else stiffen slightly. Seeing their reactions, he said, "It's not going to be dangerous, just difficult. There are spells, both in this world and that of our own, that allow the body to grow faster than nature's usual course."

"What are you saying?" Carla demanded, her wariness growing, while Wendy shivered uncertainly.

"I know Wendy is the youngest of the Dragon Slayers, and the least powerful in comparison to her comrades," Zeref stated. It was not said to be cruel, simply as a fact. It still stung a little, Wendy thought. However... "I can accelerate her growth so that she will match Natsu's biological age in a matter of weeks instead of years," Zeref offered. "She will become stronger as a result, and more capable of handling the spells she has been learning from Grendina's book." He pointed at the mentioned parchments, which were lying beside her belongings.

"That actually sounds pretty good to me," Wendy said timidly.

"Don't be absurd, child!" Carla protested. "We don't know what kind of long-term effects this might have!"

"It won't last more than four weeks, and the spell will feed off of her own inner power, though not enough to weaken her prowess in battle substantially," Zeref said. "She may grow tired a bit more easily until the transformation wears off, but by the time it does, she will be stronger than before."

"Finally, to my escorts, I offer the chance to teach you more about Dragon Slayer magic," Zeref continued. "It won't be the same as if you continued to train with Natsu and Wendy, but at least your skills will not grow stale."

"Hmm…" Baldor and Albriech exchanged glances before the elder son said, "We'll bear it in mind while we travel. We still don't trust you."

"Understandable," the ancient youth nodded. "But for the rest of you, your answers must be given before we depart, for I do not know when I will see you again."

"Can we have until the morning?" Lucy groaned. "My eyes are gonna shut on their own if I stay up any longer…"

"It is morning," Zeref said as he gestured in the direction of the early dawn.

"Shut up," Lucy muttered as she lay down in the grass. "I'm goin' to sleep."

"Someone needs to keep watch," Erza said. "But I don't think any of us are in any condition to stay awake any longer."

"I can keep watch," Zeref volunteered. "My oaths in the Ancient Language prevent me from harming any of you in any way, so there is no danger."

"He does make a convincing case," Eragon said heavily as he leaned back against Saphira's warm underbelly. "I'll take his offer."

"You look like you aren't well-rested either," Wendy said softly, though her gaze remained wary. "Are you sure that you can stay up?"

"I will be fine, young slayer," the man said quietly. "Rest, and do not fear harm. I will protect you until you are all able to resume your journey."

"I'm too tired to argue," Gray said in defeat. "Do whatever you want." Then he lay on his back, promptly falling asleep.

One by one, the others followed suit, even Erza. Once Zeref sensed that the last of them had truly fallen into their dreams, he stood and placed a hand on one of the trees next to Saphira. Muttering a short phrase in the Ancient Language, he felt some of his power go into the plant. He proceeded to do this with several more trees in the clearing in a rough circle before sitting beside Natsu once more.

"Now I can rest," he sighed as he leaned back and closed his eyes. Truth be told, he was even more exhausted than the others, but he didn't want them to see him placing enchantments on the forest- they likely would have suspected foul play on his part. He had set up wards in the forest to alert him to the presence of anyone within a mile, and to 'discourage' anyone who wanted to get too close.

 _Finally…_ he thought heavily. _I can use my magic to protect… and not to… end…_

He fell asleep before the thought was even finished.

* * *

" _All right, where's the meathead that knocked me out?!_ "

The group woke to the sound of Natsu shouting at the top of his lungs. As Lucy looked up at the screaming dragon slayer, she thought, _At least he's sounding more like himself…_

"I'm gonna knock his teeth in when I catch up with-" _Thunk!_

"Shut up, flame-for-brains," Gray muttered, plopping his arm back down on the ground after hitting Natsu with a rock. "It's too early for this."

"Settle down, Natsu…" Wendy yawned. "We had to stay up all night."

"And all on your account," Carla sniffed as she stretched. "Honestly, would it kill you to show come gratitude every now and again?"

"All on my what?" Natsu asked as he rubbed his head. "And Gray, I'm gonna give you a major sunburn when you get off your butt."

"Oh yeah?" Gray yawned. "I'd like to see you try, buddy."

"Fire Drago-" _Blam!_

"Shut it!" Lucy and Erza shouted at the same time, even as Natsu fell face-first on the ground. Everyone looked over to see that Erza had used a mace to knock him down while Lucy had flat-out kicked him over.

"Not to self…" Albriech muttered as he rubbed his eyes. "Don't wake up beautiful women until they're ready to get up on their own…"

" _And here I was thinking that all two-legs were slow learners_ ," Saphira commented as Natsu lay in the dirt, voice muffled by the earth.

"Hrgh-fr-mff-beh…" he said.

"I don't think so, pal," Happy said as he moved to stand beside the fire wizard. "You couldn't even beat Erza on a good day."

"I could totally take Lucy, though!" he protested as he picked himself up.

"That's not saying much," Happy grinned, relieved to see Natsu acting more like himself.

"Hey!" Lucy growled. "Watch it, or you're next!"

"Just sayin'," Happy smirked.

"Rrgh…" Erza grumbled as she sat up. "I suppose everyone got enough rest?"

"From what I can tell, we should all be good to travel," Zeref said from he sat against a tree trunk.

"Hey, you!" Natsu shouted. "Why'd you knock me out, huh?!"

"Maybe because you were getting out of control?" Carla said dryly. "Honestly…"

"I get out of control all the time!" he protested.

"This was a different variety of crazy," Happy interjected. "Speakin' of which…" Looking up at Natsu directly, he asked, "How're ya feeling, Natsu?"

"Fine, same as alw-" He paused mid-sentence as a thoughtful look crossed his face. "Actually, I feel better than fine. I feel pretty good!"

Erza shot Zeref a glare who held up his hands in self-defense. "Did you do anything to his memory?" she hissed.

"No, but the mental strain on his psyche has been greatly reduced," he answered. "His memories are unmolested by my magic, so he is fine in that regard. I assume that he will still be pained at the passing of his friend, but he seems to do a fine job at hiding it."

"That he does…" Erza admitted.

"Well, I think it's time we go our separate ways for now," Albriech said as he walked up to the gathering. "We should get back home, and Eragon's family should know about what's happened as of late."

"What, you're leaving?!" Natsu yelped. "Why?! Seriously, what'd I miss?!"

"The creepy guy helped you feel better, Baldor and Albriech are gonna go home with him so that they can all teach Eragon's cousin dragon slayer magic, and we're gonna meet up with them sometime so we can go beat the Empire," Happy said in a rapid-pace fashion.

"But…" Natsu's face feel a bit before he perked back up. "All right," he said, surprising everyone with a slight grin. "But ya better not try to take on the king without us, got it?"

"Same to you," Albriech said as he extended a hand. Natsu grasped it firmly and shook hands with the man.

"We'll miss you all," Baldor added.

"Hey, do me a favor on your way back?" Natsu said once they had all said their farewells, the stranger in black standing away during the proceedings.

"What is it?" Albriech asked.

"Say hi… to Lisanna for me," Natsu said, his eyes a bit sad. "For all of us. It's mean a lot to me."

There was a grave silence for a moment, only broken when the white dragon said, "We will, Natsu. You have our word as Fairy Tail wizards."

"Then be well in your travels," Erza said.

"Same to you," Baldor said as he and his brother moved away for Zeref to come stand before them once more.

"So…" he said softly. "Have you each considered my offer?"

"We have," Erza nodded. "Though it makes us uneasy, the oaths that Eragon had you swear have allayed enough of our fears. We will accept your gifts."

"Wait, what?" Natsu asked, confused.

"Very well," Zeref said as he raised his hands, which glowed with golden light. "This may feel a bit strange, but I promise that it's completely harmless." Each of them suddenly felt a presence in their minds that began to fill their conscience with new knowledge, though not in a painful pace or capacity. The only exceptions were Erza, whose gift was given to her by transferring the armor across with her magical storage abilities, and Wendy, who felt more of a strange crawling sensation throughout her body, just on the verge of being unpleasant, though the sensation quickly faded.

Once it was done, the wizards- and dragon- shook their heads as the new information melted into their memories, disconcerting them for a few seconds. However, the process was short-lived, and they soon felt right again.

"Okay…" Natsu muttered as he rubbed his head. "What'd he just do…?"

"What _did_ you do?" Erza demanded, her eyes narrowed as she rounded on Zeref, who regarded her calmly. "You never mentioned a gift for Natsu."

"It was not mine, but Igneel's," he said somberly. "It was a few spells reserved for the Fire Dragon King- spells that Igneel never had the chance to teach Natsu, much like how Wendy was not able to complete her training with her mother."

"Who-what-now?" Natsu asked, still swaying unsteadily. Apparently, his brain was having a harder time processing the new information than the others.

"Easy there," Lucy said as he started to topple, grabbing him up and throwing his arm over her shoulders so that she could support him more easily.

"Thanks, Luce…" he grinned weakly.

"Don't mention it, big guy," she grinned back, relieved to see him acting more like himself, and less like… whatever it was that Zeref had created.

"Is that all?" Erza asked through gritted teeth while Gray examined an arcane mark that had appeared on his left arm.

"I leave you with one final token of goodwill," Zeref said as he turned away. "While you all rested, I used my magic to sense what was going on around us… even into the town, and the prison therein."

"And?" Erza snapped.

"There is a prisoner who needs rescuing," Zeref answered. "An elf that may have more to do with us being here than one might expect."

"An elf?!" Eragon gaped. "In Gil'ead?!"

"What?!" Natsu exclaimed. "Everyone knows elves are made up!"

"Says the dragon slayer…" Carla sighed in disappointment.

* * *

 **Gajeel: Kinda powering everyone up a bit early, aren't ya?**

 **Mataras: Not really... I think people in the fandom really underestimate how strong Durza is, not to mention his virtual immortality. If you think about, Erza's magic is really the only one suited for taking him on, and even then it would be risky. Not only is he about on par with them in terms of magic power, his is a lot more versatile than the Earthlanders.**

 **Makarov: You make a good point, but the majority of people that they face couldn't hope to stand up to them how they were, much less now.**

 **Mataras: Again, I feel that there may be a slight misunderstanding here... With the exception of Wendy, Zeref has done nothing to increase their power or stamina, so the playing field is still going to be about the same as before.**

 **Levy: I guess that makes sense.**

 **Mataras: And before anyone asks about Baldor and Albriech, yes, this was my plan all along! Also, it'svery hard to keep such a large group dynamic going for so long... They'll show up when Roran's arc comes around, don't worry.**

 **Laxus: Hey, wait a minute... Weren't you trying to hide from the Strauss siblings?**

 **Mataras: ...You had to bring that up, huh?**

 **Gajeel: And speak of the she-devil...**

 **Mirajane: _Found you, little bastard!_**

 **Mataras: Bye guys!**


	30. A Fairy Tail Rescue

**A/N: Who's down for a destructive rescue as only Fairy Tail can do?!**

* * *

A Fairy Tail Rescue

"So that's the place, huh?" Lucy muttered as they eyed the massive prison of Gil'ead. The walls were thick, the defenses well-armed, and the Earthland wizards sensed a handful of magicians in the ranks. There was one other presence that they could detect, powerful in magic, but also very different from the other beings surrounding it.

"Natsu, do you smell anything?" Erza asked in a low tone. They were all standing in the street with their hoods up to avoid attracting unnecessary attention, trying to figure out the best way to get into the fortress.

"Too much stuff in the way," he said with a negative shake of his head. "But if you're feelin' that weird magic like I am, I don't think I'll need to sniff her out."

"Never hurts to be sure, but I see your point," Gray muttered, his hand going up to undo the clasp on his cloak.

"Keep it on, Gray!" Erza hissed sharply while slapping his hand without looking over at him.

"Gah!" he growled, annoyed. "Are we gonna stand around all day, or are we gonna break that elf chick outta there?"

"I'm with Frostbite on this one," Natsu grinned. "I'm gettin' fired up."

"Normally I'd sock ya for callin' me that, but it's been a while since we got to team up," Gray grinned, the air becoming noticeably colder around him. "Guess I'll be cool and let it slide this time."

"Really, Gray?" Lucy said dryly. "A pun?"

"Remember, we need to wait to hear from Eragon whether or not his contact showed up," Erza reminded them. "If this Dormand person didn't show up, we'll be lost trying to find the Varden." Eragon, the exceeds, Murtagh, and Wendy had gone to meet up with the agent while the rest of Team Natsu went to scout the prison.

"Maybe Grandpa Crux can figure out where they are?" Lucy suggested.

"I doubt that," Erza said as she shook her head. "He was barely able to scrap any information together on the Ra'zac, remember? I find it highly unlikely that he knows very much about this world, much less its politics."

"To be fair, it sounds like hardly anyone here knows about the Ra'zac," Gray countered. "People are a lot easier to find out about than shadow monsters that no one ever lives to talk about."

"Doesn't matter if anyone knew about 'em before," Natsu shrugged, his eyes darkening a bit. "They're dead now." The others looked askance at him for a second, but he seemed to be well within the definition of sane- at least, as much as he could be.

Still, Lucy knew how volatile his moods could get, so she said, "You guys keep an eye on the prison. Natsu and I'll get some food. I saw some stalls selling fruit a few blocks away."

"I'll go with y-"

"I'll have some strawberries if they have them, cherries if not," Erza said, cutting Gray off. He looked a question at her, but all she did was shake her head in the negative.

"Okay, I'll be sure to look!" Lucy said as she grabbed Natsu by the arm and pulled him along, his face already lighting up at the prospect of food.

Once they were out of earshot, Gray turned to look directly at Erza and ask, "Why'd you stop me?"

"Lookout is boring when it's just one person," she grinned easily. However, her expression grew more serious as she added, "Natsu is still hurting on the inside, even if he is feeling better. Strange as it is, he only seems to open up to Lucy- even if he doesn't realize it." Her grin returned slightly as she added under her breath, "And even if she doesn't realize it, either."

"What was that?" Gray asked, straining to hear her.

"Nothing," she said as she shook her head. In her head this time, she added, _Be careful, Lucy. Dancing with a fire that's been recently extinguished… you might end up snuffing it out for good._

* * *

"So, Natsu," Lucy asked as he readily munched on an apple that she had bought with money given to her by Murtagh. "What've you found interesting in this world? You think it's better than Edolas?"

"Hmm…" he mumbled as he swallowed. "The food here is better, that's for sure."

"Now what I meant…" she groaned.

"Huh?" he asked as he swallowed. "Whad'ya mean, then?"

"I meant like the people, the places, the history!" she told him. "Ugh, I should've known better than to ask you about this stuff…"

"Oh, well I know a little bit of stuff about the dragons from this world," Natsu told her blankly.

"Wait, what?" she said, surprised. "When did you learn about that?"

"The old man talked about 'em," Natsu explained. "If ya want, I can tell ya some of the stories about what happened with the old Riders that Eragon comes from."

"You can?" she asked suspiciously, wondering if he was playing a prank on her.

"Well, I'd ask Eragon more about it," Natsu shrugged. "He was actually supposed to learn about the stuff. I just heard the story cos Wendy wanted to listen to him tell the story. Dunno how much I'll actually remember."

"What do you remember consistently, besides food?" she sighed heavily.

Natsu looked offended as he shot her an annoyed look as he said, "Hey! I remember you! Not a day goes by where I don't think of you!"

Lucy's face was instantly aflame. "Y-You what?!" she squawked.

"Yeah!" he nodded vigorously. "You, Erza, Gray, Happy, Gramps, all of you guys! I'm always thinking of our family back at Fairy Tail!"

"Oh, right," she said quickly, feeling stupid for the heat in her face now. "Of course that's what you meant. Why would you mean anything else, right? Hehe…" She turned away, mentally kicking herself while Natsu just cocked his head at her, feeling thoroughly confused.

 _Nice one, Lucy!_ She muttered in her head. _He was with Lisanna while you were looking for him, remember?! Of course he hasn't been really thinking about you!_

"Uh, do all girls turn all red and act weird whenever I talk about my friends?" Natsu asked to no one in particular. "Lisanna…" Lucy turned around to see Natsu with his eyes downcast, veiled by his pink hair. "…she did that a lot."

Lucy looked at him with pity as she said, "Sorry, Natsu… I didn't mean to bring up bad memories."

"That's just it, Luce," Natsu said, his voice lowered. "They aren't bad memories… they're really good ones. So why does it have to hurt so much to remember them?" He looked up at her, his eyes onyx eyes misting. "Why does it have to be so hard?"

Lucy was at a loss for words. For everyone in Fairy Tail, Natsu was always the one ready with a smile and some encouraging words for when things looked down. So how do you comfort someone when they've always been the one comforting you?

"Natsu…" Lucy said as she put a hand on his shoulder, her palm pressing on his guild mark, covering it with her own. "I know it's probably not what you wanna hear right now, but… I know how you feel. I lost my mom, remember? I was just a little girl." Natsu did not respond for several moments, so Lucy pressed on to say, "It was the hardest time in my life, those years growing up with a father who hardly cared about me… But when I found Fairy Tail, I found all the family that I needed. Just remember that, okay?"

"Like I said…" Natsu murmured, his head coming up so that she could see a faint smile on his face, "I always remember you guys." He straightened himself and added, "But out of anyone that could have come to find me, other than Happy, I'm glad it was you, Lucy. You're the best partner I could ask for."

And just like that, Lucy found herself blushing again, though this time it wasn't as hard, and she found herself able to smile back and say, "I'm glad I came, too."

* * *

The pair had just walked back up to the prison when Erza turned to gray and said, "It's go time."

"What'd we miss?" Lucy asked as they jogged up.

"Time to do what Natsu and I do best," Gray grinned, cracking his knuckles.

"So they found Doorbell?" Natsu asked.

"Dormand, and no, they didn't," Erza shook her head. "Seems something scared him off. That, or he's been captured by the enemy. And if they were to discover that we're here…"

"Uh, so why are still breaking into the prison?" Lucy asked nervously.

"Eragon insists that we need to get the elf out of there," Erza said sternly. "Apparently, the elves and the Varden have an alliance of sorts, so it's very likely that she can get us to the Varden. Short of that, we can seek sanctuary with her people."

"Sounds like a plan to me," Natsu chortled. "I'm all fired up now."

"Then let's do it," Erza nodded sharply. "We go in, we get the elf out, and we meet up with the others outside the city." Turning to the boys, she said, "Go ahead- you've been waiting patiently for a while now."

"Ready Natsu?" Gray asked as he threw off his cloak and shirt.

"Haha, _yeah!_ " he crowed, even as the citizens around them looked on with wide eyes.

Gray flexed his right arm, and the symbol of the Ice Demon Slayer appeared. "Let's go; _Ice Demon RAGE!_ "

" _Fire Dragon ROAR!_ "

Purplish-white ice and raging flames shot forth from the maws of both slayers, and decimated the prison's entrance.

"Requip! _Lightning Empress Armor!_ " Erza intoned, her body glowing as she changed her armor and summoned forth her lightning spear.

"Open, Gate of the Archer!" Lucy shouted, whipping out her keys. " _Sagittarius_!"

"Hidey-ho, my lady!" the horse-man said as he saluted his master.

"Keep those guards off of us!" she ordered him as she pointed at the men on the walls, who were arming themselves with bows and spears.

"Child's play!" the spirit nodded as he took aim.

"Whoa, breath attack?!" Natsu said with surprise as he looked Gray up and down. "When'd you learn that?"

"Later, c'mon!" he said as he led the charge inside the prison. "We got an elf to rescue!" Already, the alarm bells were gonging, and the city of Gil'ead began to deploy its troops.

* * *

" _Fire Dragon IRON FIST!_ "

" _Ice-make: SAUCER!_ "

These battle cries were the last thing that many men heard that day. Natsu and Gray blazed a path of total destruction through the halls of the building, leaving Lucy- and surprisingly, Erza- to wipe out the stragglers.

"How do we know where to find the elf?!" Lucy asked as yet another hot-cold explosion rocked the prison.

"Just follow Natsu!" Erza grunted as she blasted a guard back with lightning from her spear. "He'll find her, whether through his nose, or dumb luck!"

"Really?!" Lucy shouted. "That's the plan?!"

"He found you when you were kidnapped by Phantom Lord, right?" Erza grinned at her teammate. "Trust him- he knows what he's doing."

As if on cue, they heard Gray shout back at them, "Hey, Erza! Lucy! Natsu thinks he found something!"

"What is it?" Lucy asked.

"Hah!" they rounded the corner just in time for Natsu to light up his fists and tear down the grated door to a prison cell. "Found ya!"

Lucy and Erza peered inside the cell to see a woman that looked as though she had leaped out of the pages of a storybook. Lengthy black hair veiled part of her lovely face, but one of her green eyes shone brilliantly, even in the smoky firelight that Natsu had unleashed in the building. Her skin was fair, her figure was slender-yet-clearly-feminine, and her posture was perfect.

"Hi!" Natsu grinned as he moved into the cell. "Nice to meet ya! I'm Natsu, how's it goin?" The woman sagged and collapsed on the floor without a word. This seemed to upset Natsu, as he started yelling, "Hey! That's one heck of a greeting for the people tryin' ta rescue you!"

"Ze- Our informant said that she has been tortured during her stay here," Erza said sharply, barely stopping herself from using black wizard's name. "We need to get her to Wendy so she can heal her."

"She's really pretty," Gray muttered, almost to himself as he moved to pick up the woman. Gathering her up in his arms, he looked at the others and said, "Any idea on how we're getting out of here without half the city chasing us down?"

" _Gray? Erza?_ " Eragon's voice echoed inside their heads. " _Can you hear me?_ "

"We read you, buddy," Gray said, looking up at the ceiling. "What's up?"

" _Remember, try to block your thoughts better next time you're in a fight,_ " Eragon told them. " _If I'd been an enemy, you would all be in serious trouble right now._ "

"Did'ja call us to give us a lecture, or to help us out?" Natsu grumbled.

" _Sorry,_ " Eragon replied, chastened. " _Saphira volunteered to help you get the elf out of the city. Get to the roof, we'll meet you there._ "

"We?" Erza asked after a moment.

" _Saphira has no defense against enemy spells, that's why I'm coming with her,_ " Eragon said. " _Be swift- we won't have long, and I would prefer it if we don't have to deal with any archers trying to ambush us when we get there._ " Then he cut the connection.

"Archers won't be a problem," Lucy grinned. "Sagittarius and I took 'em out already."

"Hey, uh, anyone wanna answer my question: how do _we_ get out of this?" Gray demanded. "Saphira can't carry all of us."

"Don't worry, I have a plan," Lucy said, her grin taking on a more devious appearance.

"What, are you planning to pull a Gray to distract the guards?" Natsu grinned fiendishly.

" _Shut up, Flame-brain!_ "

The plan actually went a lot better than the others expected. There were a few guards left up on the roof, but Natsu and Erza made short work of them, just in time for Saphira to land on the roof.

"Thanks for coming," Lucy said while Gray handed the unconscious woman over to Eragon. "Getting out of here would've been a lot harder without your help."

"You are most welcome," Eragon said as he and the ice wizard moved to strap her into Saphira's saddle.

"You are certain that you will be able to carry two people?" Erza asked the blue dragon, concerned.

" _Three would have been difficult, but two can managed easily enough,_ " Saphira nodded. " _We must be swift, however. You may have defeated the prison's garrison, but the rest of the city's forces will be mobilizing once they hear of this. We'd best make ourselves scarce before that happens._ "

"Agreed," Erza nodded. Turning to Lucy she said, "You mentioned a plan, Lucy?"

"Yeah- check this out," she grinned. Reaching for the magic in her body, she sought not to channel into her keys, but instead into the language of the elves. "Freytha." Without warning, she vanished from sight.

"Whoa!" Natsu exclaimed. "How'd ya do that?! I can smell her, but I don't see her at all!"

"Stealth spell," Lucy replied, her voice coming from where she had been standing. "I'll cast it on all of us long enough so that we can get away from the city without being spotted, but after that, we're better off running. I don't know that my magic can last much longer than that."

"A very sound strategy, Lucy," Erza nodded, impressed. "Let us be off, then."

"Man, this world's magic isn't half-bad," Gray said, sounding equally in awe. "I might have to pick up a few tricks with it."

"Later," Erza told him. "Right now, we make our escape. Eragon, Saphira, safe flight. We'll meet you at the camp."

"Aye, be safe," he nodded as he leaped up into his saddle. "I don't want to have to perform another rescue from this place."

"Heh, who do you think we are?" Natsu grinned.

* * *

 **Levy: Man, I can't believe we've been doing this for thirty chapters now!**

 **Mataras: And we're only getting started, hehe.**

 **Gajeel: Not bad for a rescue. Kinda reminded me of the whole Phantom Lord thing they pulled off.**

 **Laxus: Weren't you on the other side?**

 **Gajeel: Rgh...**

 **Mataras: Okay, boys, simmer down.**

 **Levy: Next time- Leaving the Empire!**


	31. Across the Sandy Sea

**A/N: Show of hands, who thought I was gone forever?**

* * *

Across the Sandy Sea

"I don't think I've ever seen anything that brutal," Gray said with a shudder as he sat beside Natsu, who was staring blankly at the tree line surrounding them.

"Yeah," the pinkette nodded with a grimace. "We've seen some seriously messed-up stuff, but that was just… evil."

"What she's been through makes my time in the Tower of Heaven look like a childhood fantasy," Erza said in agreement. Even she had been disturbed by what they had just seen.

They were talking about the condition of the elf that they had just rescued from Gil'ead. They had all managed to rendezvous safely at the pre-determined meeting place, but when the second party had arrived, Eragon, Murtagh and Wendy had discovered scored upon scores of wounds inflicted in numerous places on the elf's body, all them indicating a savage torture that would have killed most people. Dragon and rider, along with the Sky Maiden, were now working to heal the elf while the others kept a lookout for any soldiers that might be coming.

"Do you think we'll have a little bit of peace and quiet before the next round of fighting?" Lucy wondered aloud.

"If the stories you've all told me are true, I doubt it," Murtagh said grimly. "You lot seem to attract trouble wherever you go."

"Says the guy that was stalking the Ra'zac," Gray quipped with a wry smile. "That's just askin' for trouble."

"Hmm, perhaps," the other young man replied in kind.

"Yo, settle down," Natsu said as he held up his hand to indicate silence. The others immediately obeyed as he sniffed at the air.

"Everything okay?" Happy asked after a tense moment.

"The wind's blowing toward us from the city, so I'm catching the smell of a few horses and soldiers," Natsu said with a wicked grin as he cracked his knuckles. "Now I've got a new reason to pound 'em into next week."

"That being…?" Erza asked, half-sarcastically.

"They did some pretty messed-up stuff to that elf chick," Natsu growled. "Someone's gotta pay for it."

"If you really want to make someone pay for her torment, take down the king," Murtagh said, his expression once more a blank mask. "Decimating his armies and cities mean _nothing_ to him."

"You sound like you know him on a personal level," Erza said carefully, getting the feeling that she might be treading on dangerous ground.

The young man stiffened, furthering her hunch. "I don't want to discuss that," he finally said.

Before Natsu could inevitably ask a torrent of questions, Erza put her armored hand over his mouth and said, "We understand. Someone's past is their own, and whether it be a sanctum of safe memories or a shadow you try to escape, it is yours alone."

Murtagh's eyebrows went up in slight surprise. He opened his mouth as if to say something, then paused before simply muttering, "Thank you, Lady Scarlet."

"Um, guys?" Lucy asked nervously. "Can Natsu tell us how far away the soldiers are? I really need a rest after using that much magic power in the rescue."

"Well, Salamander?" Carla asked.

"They won't be here for a while- doesn't smell like they're moving out just yet," the Salamander answered. Looking over at Erza, he added, "They won't be a problem for us."

"That may be, but for now, I say that we should rest and recover the magic power we've used," the red-head decided. "There's no sense in us going to look for trouble when we've just escaped their prison."

"Hah!" Natsu laughed. "D'ya really think that they've got a prison that can hold us?"

"Perhaps," Erza said seriously with a frown. "I sense an immense amount of power from this elf woman- power that rivals our own. If they found a way to contain her, it could spell trouble for us if we were to be caught."

"If this elf is that strong, I'd wanna how they got ahold of her in the first place."

"It might have had something to do with that nasty Durza person," Carla suggested. "He certainly seemed strong enough to capture her."

"He didn't put up much of a fight against us," Natsu sniggered.

"I don't think he actually expected you to fight back," Murtagh interjected. "Not to mention we're down two dragon slayers since we last faced him, so if fate really does have something against us and we run into him again, use caution."

"Ugh, you sound like Macao," Natsu grumbled with a roll of his eyes.

"He knows the dangers of this world better than we do, Natsu," Lucy reminded him. "I'd pay attention to what he has to say."

Before Natsu could reply, Eragon came into their midst, looking a bit pale and shaky. "It's done," he said with a sigh that seemed to be a combination of relief and exhaustion. "She'll be okay now."

"What about you?!" Carla asked with concern. "You look as though you might topple over!"

"I just need… some food," Eragon said as he sat down heavily. "Wendy says that she should be waking up in a few minutes."

"Wow, you guys really put in the extra mile for that lady, huh?" Lucy said as she reached into their supply pack. "You sure you didn't overdo it?"

"Not entirely," Eragon admitted with a wry smile. "Though after what she endured, it didn't seem right to stop until she was fully healed… Wendy even found some kind of poison in her."

"Did it get in the way?" Gray asked.

"Not really," the rider shook his head in the negative. "Wendy was able to drive it out of her system with some difficulty, but she prevailed. She's much stronger than she looks- and I suspect that our mystery friend's spell is doing its work on her."

"Hah!" Natsu laughed quickly. When the others gave him intrigued looks, he said, "Wendy didn't need a power boost- she's already plenty strong. She just needs some self-confidence is all."

* * *

A few moments later, Wendy walked into their midst, followed by Saphira and the elf woman. The others stopped and stared for a moment, sizing her up. She was beautiful with a figure that rivaled Erza, and deep black hair that framed brilliant emerald eyes. Natsu didn't even have to use his draconic sense of smell to pick up on the pleasant scent of crushed pine needles coming from her. She carried herself with confidence and moved with an almost otherworldly eloquence. Not to mention that the others could now pick up on what Erza had been saying- she was indeed strong.

"I am Arya," she said, her melodious voice pitched low. Wendy moved to sit beside Eragon to eat, looking even more exhausted than the rider.

"Yo," Natsu grinned as he moved to hold out hand for her to shake. "I'm Natsu Dragneel. How're ya feelin?" The others looked surprised at his informality in greeting the elf- her presence was close to overpowering, yet he did not seem to notice.

"As well as I can be, thanks to your friends as I understand it," Arya replied, ignoring the offered hand, which seemed to irritate the dragon slayer. "I take you all had a hand in rescuing me from the clutches of Durza?"

"Y-Yes ma'am," Lucy said nervously as she stood up to greet the woman. "We broke you out."

"Then you all have my thanks," the elf said with a slight bow of her head. "I am indebted to you more than you know- had you not rescued me, I would have been brought before Galbatorix within the week. I would not have been able to resist his mental probe."

"The pleasure was ours," Erza said with a slight smile. "We met this Durza figure- no one should have to suffer as his prisoner."

"You did?" Arya asked, her eyebrows twitching upward. "He let you go?"

"I roasted him," Natsu grinned proudly.

"We helped," Gray said with a roll of his eyes. "Doesn't matter- he got away."

"You fought a shade and lived?" Arya asked with slight disbelief. "I am aware that Eragon is a rider, though untrained. Yet he managed to cure the skilna bragh I infected with magic, something no one has ever done before. I assume he drove Durza away?"

"Not exactly," Eragon said with a shake of his head. "Wendy cured you, not me. Brom wasn't able to finish my training, but she possesses very powerful healing magic. She saved your life."

Arya looked at the little girl, her eyebrows slightly raised again for a second as she looked the little girl up and down. "That a human so young could be so powerful… I have never seen anything like this."

"Umm…" Wendy said with a timid blush as she squirmed under Arya's scrutiny.

"Apologies," the woman said after a moment. "I did not mean to make you uncomfortable, young one."

"S'okay," Wendy mumbled.

"I hate to interrupt this lovely exchange…" Murtagh said after a moment, "But we have soldiers that will be coming this way soon."

"I gathered," Arya nodded.

"We were supposed to meet someone that could take us to the Varden," Eragon explained. "But we wound having to rescue you. Now we have no way of contacting him."

"That will not be necessary," Arya said with a slight shrug. "I can take you to the Varden myself."

"Isn't the Varden supposed to be across the desert?" Lucy asked anxiously. "How're we supposed to get enough water out there? Wait, can we conjure up water with magic?"

"No," Eragon said with a shake of his head. "Magic- at least our magic- cannot make something out of nothing- it's one of the reasons why we can't try to create life or resurrect the dead. Although, it may be possible to convert sand into water…"

"An interesting idea, but one that would be far too taxing," Arya said with a shake of her head. "However, there will be water in the desert- the plants that grow there get it from deep under the ground."

"So we could pull it up to the surface?" Eragon guessed.

"Yes," Arya nodded.

"What about food?" Carla asked. "I can't think that too many creatures live in the desert that would be edible."

"More than one might think," Eragon replied. "Brom taught me which plants the horses can eat and what kind of animals we can catch that won't poison us."

"I can survive on plants alone," Arya said neutrally, though Lucy felt like there was something behind that statement.

"Wait, so are we just up and going across the desert right now?" Murtagh asked.

"I don't see any reason why not," Erza shrugged. "The soldiers will be coming soon, so I see very little reason to stay here."

"Also, it is important that I speak with the leader of the Varden," Arya explained. "T'is a long tale, but suffice to say for now that I was the courier for Saphira's egg. Now that she has hatched, they need to know that there is indeed a rider willing to challenge Galbatorix."

"We'll help you get there," Gray said as he stood up, tossing off his shirt. "You lead the way, we'll pulverize any imperial forces dumb enough to mess with us."

"There are also some other things I would like to discuss with you while we travel," Erza added as she moved to gather her belongings. "You may find my companions and I different than what you expect."

"Much of life is unexpected," Arya replied wryly. "The fact that a child, human or not, was able to cure me of the Skilna Bragh without Tuvinor's Nectar is a feat I never thought to hear of. I look forward to receiving an explanation…" She paused and looked a question at Erza.

"I believe we had best get the introductions out of the way," the red-head said. "I am Erza Scarlet, and you've already met Natsu, son of Igneel, over there." The pinkette still looked annoyed that Arya had ignored him, so he acknowledged the introduction with a grunt. Turning to indicate the others, Erza added, "Our exceed companions are Happy and Carla. Then we have Gray Fullbuster- put your shirt on!"

"Yes ma'am!"

"You've also met Wendy Marvel, the Sky Maiden, and daughter of Grandeeney. Eragon, son of Garrow is the rider of the dragon Saphira. Lucy Heartfelia, daughter of Layla Heartfelia is right over there, and Murtagh is a capable warrior that had a hand in helping us slay the Ra'zac," she finished. Eragon looked like he was going to say something about his uncle, then decided to shut his mouth.

"Slay the Ra'zac?" Arya asked, her eyes actually widening for a brief moment. "Surely you jest."

"It wasn't a laughing matter, trust us," Gray said with a deep frown as he finished putting on his shirt. Glancing over at Natsu, he added in a lower tone, "We lost someone precious in that fight."

Arya's slender eyebrows met in a frown. "Those that entangle with the Ra'zac always meet misfortune," she said flatly. "You have my sympathies."

"Sounds like you could care less to me," Natsu said bitterly.

Arya caught his tone, and her frown deepened. "Have I done something to offend you?" she asked.

"Lisanna was… close to Natsu," Lucy answered after a quiet moment. "And no offense, but you weren't very nice to him when he tried to say hello."

"It's not my people's custom to exchange physical contact of any kind unless they are family," Arya replied. "I meant no disrespect."

" _You would do well to show extra respect to this one,_ " Saphira said, her first words since Arya had awoken. " _He may seem like no more than a child, but his power is undeniable- as is his status._ "

"What status do you speak of, Bjartskular?" the she-elf asked, curious yet almost reverential with her tone.

" _He is one who was raised by my kin- his father, Igneel, is king of the dragons in his land,_ " Saphira said with something akin to pride in her voice. " _Though I was- and still am at times- amazed at his foolishness, he is a mighty warrior, one which no dragon should would wish to do battle with. His name proper is Natsu Dragneel, Prince of the Fire Dragons._ "

Eragon looked up at her wide-eyed. He'd known that Saphira had a grudging respect for Natsu, but he never thought he'd hear her say it. Arya was once again looking surprised, this time her gaze fixated on Natsu, who was staring back at her with a flat expression.

"My apologies," she said again. "But… you are clearly human, not a dragon."

"Igneel was his adopted father, just as Grandeeney was Wendy's adoptive mother," Carla explained. "Both of them were raised by dragons to do one thing."

"That is?" Arya asked.

"Slay dragons, duh," Natsu finally grinned fiercely as he cracked his knuckles. "And since the big, bad king has a big, bad dragon, Eragon has us to help him out when he's ready to fight him!"

"Look, I'm sure Lady Arya has a lot of questions, but we ought to get moving," Murtagh grumbled. "Explain while we move. I don't want the soldiers coming in on us when we break down for biscuits and tea."

"The man makes a point," Gray said. "Avoid capture now, answer confusing questions later."

"Agreed," the elf said sharply, nodding once. "I believe I may be able to explain a few mysteries about your situation as well, Eragon."

* * *

 **Mirajane: Explain, before my brother and I go back to hunting you like a wounded deer.**

 **Mataras: O-kay, yeah, I admit that wasn't very nice of me to pretty much disappear for more than two months without so much as an explanation. So first and foremost, I apologize to my readers from the bottom of my heart. I should have said something at some point to let you all know that I wasn't done here- which I am not, my stories are still very much alive!**

 **However, I would like to say that the break wasn't entirely unwarranted. I've been suffering from a really bad case of writer's block that I have finally managed to conquer. My work schedule has changed up a bit again, which is a bit of a downer, but eh. I have also been trying to set some extra time aside to work on my rendition of Dragon Roar (my published novel for those of you that don't know about it). Most importantly though, since I was last on this site, I have been very happily married to the woman of my dreams- you all know her as the artist that makes the covers for my stories! She is awesome, amazing, epic, I'm honestly going to run out of words to describe her before I'm done explaining just how fantastic she is!**

 **Elfman: Whoa, I don't remember when was the last time I saw you this excited!**

 **Mataras: How can I not be?! I get to spend the rest of my life with my best friend! Our readers should be excited, too!**

 **Levy: Why is that?**

 **Mataras: Well, without my wife, a lot of the stories written wouldn't even exist, much less be as good as I try to make them. She encourages me to do better- actively. Before I release a chapter for a majority of these stories, even if she's having a busy day, she'll make time to listen and brainstorm with me!**

 **Romeo: That is pretty cool, actually.**

 **Kinana: You do know that some people are still gonna be mad at you for being away for so long, right?**

 **Mataras: Pfft, what do I care? I'm a married man, and I love it! WHOO!**

 **Gajeel: Should we take care of the other announcement so he can have his moment?**

 **Laxus: Sounds like the best way to move this along.**

 **Levy: Well, while we are very happy for Mataras, and we hope that you'll understand his absence now, we are supposed to notify his readers that his weekly podcast will be covering the topic of 'Sherlock' the day of September 22, 2017.**

 **Macao: Apparently, they're set to have a guest star- and it's someone we've seen before.**

 **Laxus: You can find the link to the Not Your Average Productions channel on Mataras' home page, where you can find videos in which Mataras' team discuss Star Wars, Avatar The Last Airbender, Death Note, and more.**

 **Mirajane: We'll see you all again- much sooner than this last gap, we promise!**


	32. A Message

**A/N: All right, you've all been wondering how Arya will work with the blended group, so here's the answer! However, I'm sure you're also wondering, 'Gee, with all the reinforcements the Varden is going to get, how is the Empire going to put up a fight?' This question shall also be answered in this chapter!**

 **Enjoy, and please be sure to leave a review!**

 **(Also, please be sure to check out my podcast on Friday nights- more people means more fun!)**

* * *

A Message

"Let's make tracks!" Eragon shouted from atop Saphira. His declaration caused the others to set spurs to their horses so that the beasts took off at a full gallop. Once the horses were clear of the campsite, Saphira flapped her mighty wings, taking to the sky with her Rider holding on tightly to the saddle.

"I still think we shoulda trashed those soldiers!" Natsu complained as he and Lucy rode on his horse, Gray. "That way we wouldn't have to deal with 'em later!" Up ahead, Murtagh and his horse quickly established a lead to allow him an unimpeded line of sight.

"I'd almost think he was planning ahead, but we all know he just wants to fight somebody," the ice wizard, Gray muttered as he kept his head low while riding Snowfire.

"I can beat him senseless once we're across this river that Eragon mentioned," Erza told him as she looked over her shoulder to make sure that there were no Imperial forces close by. "For now, we focus on our escape. Even if they are only regular soldiers, there's always something that can go wrong in a fight."

"You speak as one with a great deal of experience, despite your obvious youth," Arya said in a relatively low tone as she ran beside the horses- on her own two feet. If her speed surprised any of the wizards present, they kept it to themselves- even Natsu reasoned that it could be something like Jet's magic back home.

"My spirit is older than you might think," Erza replied grimly.

"And come on, it's not like you can talk about being young- you're not much older than we are," Lucy grinned at the serious elf maiden.

Arya trained her brilliant emerald eyes on the Celestial Wizard before saying, "You are confusing appearances with age- an old dictum of a wise woman my people have known for many a year."

"Uh…?" Natsu looked back at his partner with confusion in his eyes.

"Lost me," Lucy shrugged.

"I believe what the lady is saying is that like Erza, her level of maturity is not to be equated with her age," Carla sighed heavily. She was sitting in Wendy's lap, who was riding on the horse Eragon had dubbed 'Cadoc'. Behind the little girl was Happy, who was more than content to ride on the same horse as Carla, even if he wasn't as close to her as he could have liked.

When Arya failed to comment further, Wendy gathered up the courage to ask, "Miss Arya? Can I ask you something?" She found the elf woman to be nothing short of intimidating, though somehow it was a different feeling to when Erza was angry. She sensed that this Arya, if angered, would be far more in control than Titania if her temper flared- a quality that she deemed far more frightening than blind rage.

"You may," the she-elf replied neutrally.

"Y-You said that you had a thought about why Natsu and I ended up here in the first place," she managed to say. "Do you mind telling us what it is?"

"Hmm…" Arya mused, seemingly gathering her thoughts before making a reply. "Know that what I tell you is theory based on my experiences and the tales you have told me." When she saw that they understood, she continued on to say, "First you must know- the moment that Eragon found Saphira's egg- the moment that you say you entered this world- I was captured by Durza. His goal had been to steal the egg from my comrades and I, then return it to Galbatorix. He killed my comrades, but kept me alive because he wanted information- both about the egg and my people.

"In order to rob him of the greater of those two prizes, I used magic to send Saphira's egg away- I had hoped to send it to Brom, but it appears that there was some… interference." She spared a glance at Natsu before adding, "Whether it was coincidence or fate's hand, your movements through the space between spaces seems to have caused the egg and yourselves to appear before Saphira's rider."

"The space between spaces?" Lucy repeated while Natsu and Wendy took time to process this new information. "What's that?"

There was another pause in between the question and Arya's answer. "A realm where only magic has any sense of direction. Other than that, much is speculated, little is known."

"Not much for idle conversation, are ya?" Gray asked.

"Idleness never sat well with me," Arya answered tightly. Sensing that he had somehow touched a nerve, Gray dropped the conversation and settled for getting his horse to follow Murtagh.

* * *

They reached the river that stood between them and the Haradac Desert that evening. They burst out of the trees to encounter the rushing river, reigning in their horses to avoid plunging into the tumultuous waters. Arya skidded to a stop in a cloud of dust while Eragon landed far enough away to avoid spooking the horses.

He ran up a moment later, saying, "We need to get the horses across, but the river is moving too fast for them to swim it, especially if we're riding them."

"What do you have in mind?" Murtagh asked the Rider.

"Saphira _could_ carry them over, one at a time, then ferry the rest of us the same way," Eragon replied, keeping an eye on the trees to make sure no soldiers got the drop on them.

"That'll take too long with as many of us as there are," Murtagh said with a negative shake of his head. "We'll end up having to fight off the soldiers that are chasing us."

"Let 'em come," Natsu grinned as he leaped down from the saddle and lit his fists up. "I'll handle them while you fly the horses."

"I can use my Sky Magic to make it easier for Saphira to carry everyone," Wendy volunteered.

"If we must fight, Natsu and I can hold the line while Wendy and Saphira get everyone else to safety," Erza grunted as she leaped to the ground.

"Much as I love a good brawl, I've got a better idea," Gray said as he moved to stand and the river's edge. Before anyone could ask what he was up to, he slammed his fist into his hand and shouted, " _Ice-make: FLOOR!_ " Just like that, a good portion of the river was flash-frozen, forming a makeshift bridge across the water.

One of Arya's slender eyebrows rose quickly. "Interesting," she murmured. Eying the ice closely, she asked, "Will it hold up to all of us, including the horses?"

"As long as we don't have to fight anybody on it, we'll be fine," Gray replied confidently.

"Well done," Murtagh said approvingly. "This should be easier on the horses instead of having Saphira grab them up one by one. For all they know, she will have just suddenly decided to eat them."

"Fair point," Eragon nodded. Turning to the others, he said, "All right, Saphira and I will keep an eye out from the air while you all cross to the other side."

"Natsu and I will bring up the rear, just in case," Erza added. "Gray should go in the front to make sure that the ice bridge will hold, and to extend it as we go."

"If there is to be a fight, I will have a hand," Arya interjected.

"Um, that might not be a good idea," Wendy advised timidly. "You just had a pretty bad ordeal, so maybe you shouldn't-"

"I am not a human woman to be coddled at the first sign of danger," Arya said, her eyes flashing dangerously. "Those soldiers had a hand in my imprisonment- they stained my honor. I _will_ have recompense for that."

"Hey, human girls aren't as weak as you think they are," Natsu said angrily, thrusting his face invasively close to Arya's, his eyes hard. "Lucy's one of the strongest members in our guild, Wendy healed you from all that torture you went through- something _you_ thought was impossible- and Erza's magic could kick your sorry butt into the dirt any day of the week. Not to mention Lisanna, who was strong enough to take a knife meant for me, when she coulda just stayed where it was safe!" The Salamander was literally spitting sparks at the end of his rant.

"What are you implying?" Arya asked, something in her voice a sure sign that she was dangerously close to letting her temper burst.

"I think he's saying that you have an overly high opinion of yourself," Lucy said with a small frown. "Not to mention, you're pretty rude for someone that's had their life rescued."

"…What?" Arya asked slowly. To the side, Wendy and the others were beginning to make their way across the bridge, away from this argument that was arguably more dangerous than being unarmed in a room with Durza.

"I'm just saying, the whole time you've been with us, your attitude has been rotten," Lucy shrugged. "You've all but ignored Natsu half the time, made several degrading comments about our group's intelligence, and you seem to think that just because you're an elf, you're automatically better than us."

"The only thing I see is a band of children meddling in matters which they can only begin to comprehend," Arya replied, her voice dangerously soft. "This war is not so black and white as you would have it. There are factors beyond Galbatorix and Durza that you fail to account for."

"Natsu, Lucy," Erza said sternly. "We need to focus on getting out of the Empire's territory before we do anything else. If you have something to argue about with Arya, save it until we get across the river."

"Hmph," the fire dragon slayer scowled, but he knew better than to start an argument with Erza. "Get goin'. Erza and I'll hold off anyone that tries to cross."

"I do not take orders from-"

"Lady Arya, please get going," Erza said as she summoned one of her standard blades. "I do not doubt your skill, or mean to belittle you, but it's clear that out of this group, we can afford to lose you the least, other than Eragon and Saphira. You told us of the lengths that Durza went to in order to secure your capture so that he might learn of your people. We cannot risk you falling back into his hands."

"All war is risk," Arya replied, though she appeared to be somewhat mollified by Erza's reasoning. "But we shall do it your way- for now." With that, she turned on her heel and strode across the ice bridge to rejoin the others.

* * *

"We're going to have a talk about this later, Natsu," Erza said to the Salamander, who grunted wordlessly.

"What could leave a trail this big?" Baldor wondered aloud as he stared at the scenery around him. He and his brother had paused with their companion-technically-prisoner on their journey back to Carvahall when they saw a scene that defied explanation.

The trees that made up the Spine were flattened, uprooted, and splintered. Even stranger, the boulders that could be seen here and there looked no better. Perhaps even more disturbing was the trail that was being marked- it was completely straight, at least as straight as something could travel across a mountain range. Whatever had wrought this destruction was large, larger than anything Baldor and Albriech had ever seen.

"Maybe a dragon?" the blonde son of Horst guessed.

"From what I can gather, the King's dragon would be too large for this to be his work, and Saphira is too small to have wrought this by herself," Zeref said mildly. When the two brothers looked a question at him, he shrugged and said, "I used archive magic to approximate the size of a hundred-year-old dragon of this world, and the data does not match. Not to mention, if a dragon this large did exist in this empire, it would have surely been hunted down by now."

"Okay master wizard, what do you think did this?" Baldor asked, sarcasm heavy in his voice as the Black Wizard swung down form the saddle of his horse to examine the destruction more closely.

Zeref frowned as he touched a tree with some particularly nasty-looking gashes before looking over at a piece of earth about a mile away that had been blackened, almost as if by a fire. Wordlessly, he moved positions and began to examine another piece of the forest that had been obliterated.

"Why are we letting him do the examinations?" Albriech muttered. "I know Eragon said he couldn't hurt us because of those oaths he had him swear, but everything about this man says 'unsettling."

"You and know how to track forest game, not monsters," Baldor replied in an equally low tone. "This is beyond me, so if he ends up knowing something about it, we might be able to use that knowledge to our advantage."

"Wait, you want to hunt this thing down?" Albriech asked. "What about getting home?"

"We can always make a few detours on our way back to Carvahall," Baldor shrugged. "I for one, am still eager to test my limits as a Dragon Slayer."

"Hmm, I cannot deny the allure of pushing my limits," Albriech agreed.

Zeref suddenly stood up, something like alarm written on his face. "What's happened?" the younger slayer asked him with a frown.

"Two things, the first of which I believe will alarm you more," Zeref said as he lightly sprung up and strode over to his horse. "This beast is- as far as I can tell- headed straight for Carvahall."

Baldor and Albriech immediately stiffened in their saddles, blood draining from their faces. "What is this thing?" Albriech asked hoarsely, the thought of the destruction around him coming to his hometown.

"That is the part that distresses me," Zeref said with a thoughtful frown. "It's a demon called Deliyora- a monster from my world that was slain little more than a few months ago by Fairy Tail."

* * *

"Mistress Kyoko, the message has been sent," said a softly spoken woman with large, golden horns sprouting from her dark hair. She was speaking into a mirror that bore the image of an avian-like woman, who nodded with satisfaction.

"Very well done, Seilah," the woman said with a devious smile. "This will certainly obtain Lord Zeref's attention."

"What of the wizards travelling with him?" the horned woman asked with mild curiosity. "Should I eliminate them?"

"No…" said a floating, skull-faced man with a slow shake of his head. "From what we can tell, they are of this world, yet they have the magic of an Earthland Dragon Slayer… Observe them for now. Perhaps we can learn the nature of this phenomena and learn to use it for our own purposes."

"Your fascination with _humans_ is unbefitting of an etherious, Keyes," Kyoko scoffed. "Why bother?"

"Do not be so quick to mock," the skeleton-man said without a trace of emotion. "After all, it is not for no reason that I brought in the ninth gate. Nor should we forget Lord Zeref's human origins."

"Hmph," the bird-woman snorted, but offered no further resistance. Turning back to the mirror, she said, "The order is given. Have the new Deliyora destroy the specified town. A favor for a favor, after all."

Before the connection was cut, Seilah dared to ask, "Lady Kyoko… If I may?"

"What is it?" the bird-woman asked sharply.

"To what extent will we use this… this Durza?" the more timid of the two demons asked.

"As long as he serves a purpose," Kyoko laughed just before the mirror went dark.

* * *

 **Mataras: Okay, so full disclosure- the Nine Gates have been in Alagaesia for almost as long as Zeref. Also yes, this was part of the overall plan from the beginning. Now, how are they manipulating Durza? That'll be explained in due time.**

 **Makarov: Are you out of your mind?! There's no way my kids can beat them as they are!**

 **Mataras: Duh. Who said there were going to be fighting them anytime soon?**

 **Levy: Umm, okay, but now I have another question...**

 **Mataras: Eh?**

 **Levy: Do these guys work with or for Galbatorix? Or are they another factor entirely?**

 **Mataras: That... will be discovered during a later chapter. I think that (despite this being a short chapter) I've left my readers with enough to process for now. See you all next time!**


	33. Roran Stronghammer

**A/N: Hello there!**

* * *

Roran Stronghammer

Baldor, Albriech, and Zeref only spent a few moments in stunned silence before the two brothers erupted in a panic. "We have to get back home, now!" Albriech said to the Black Wizard. "They won't stand a chance against something like this!"

"This couldn't be any worse," Baldor winced. "We've been on the road for months. This trail isn't fresh from what I can tell, so it could already be there for all we know."

"The beast was here no more than three weeks ago," Zeref told them. "The remnants of his magic signature would indicate this particular fact."

"Meaning?" Albriech demanded sharply.

"That we may be able to save your village," Zeref said as he brought up a panel of archive magic. His eyes swiftly scanned the texts presented to him, his lips moving softly as he read along.

"What are you doing?" Baldor asked, his voice still panicky. "We don't have time to-"

"I am well aware that time is short, which is why you need to be quiet and let concentrate," Zeref interrupted quietly. "Ah- here it is."

"What are you up to?" Albriech demanded.

"I'm composing a spell to take us directly to Carvahall," Zeref answered as he swiped his hand to bring up a map of Alagaesia. His eyes narrowed as he muttered, "Teleportation spell or instant movement…?"

His eyes flicked over to the two brothers before he said, "We have two options before us."

"Out with it then," Albriech said impatiently.

"I can transport us there instantly via the Ancient Language, but at a great cost to my energy," Zeref told them. "In fact, if I do this, I will very likely be unable to help you in battle. I'm still not fully recovered from my work with Natsu."

"What is the other option?" Baldor inquired.

"I can use my world's style of magic to transport us," Zeref replied. "However, the range is limited, and I would have to make multiple jumps to accomplish this, meaning it would take us longer to get there. The upside is that I would be able to conserve my energy so that I could be of assistance to you when we reach Carvahall."

The brothers exchanged a glance before nodding together. There was no need to discuss it any further- the choice was obvious. "Take us there instantly," Albriech ordered. "We have no time to waste. If the demon is there, we will handle it. If not, it will give you time to recover for when he does show up."

"As you wish," Zeref said with a slight dip of his head. "Come together- we need to be in physical contact to make this as easy as possible."

"What about the horses?" Albriech asked.

"Leave them- I'm not transporting any more than I absolutely need to," Zeref said. Reluctantly, the two brothers dismounted as they formed a triangle with the other wizard. Once they had all joined hands, Zeref began muttering several phrases in the Ancient Language. Albriech and Baldor suddenly had an unsettling feeling throughout their bodies as though needles were pricking them on every inch of their skin.

"This feels strange!" Baldor shouted, feeling queasy as a brilliant white light enveloped them.

"Hold on!" Albriech grunted, fighting to keep his stomach under control.

Zeref continued his mutterings brow furrowed in concentration, until they were completely engulfed in the light, and a loud bang echoed around them. Both young men blinked as they tried to clear their eyes and ears of the results from the powerful magic. They felt rather than saw Zeref collapse to the ground, exhausted.

"Zeref!" Baldor exclaimed, immediately checking his wrist for a pulse. Breathing a sigh of relief when he felt a strong heartbeat, he quickly stood up, his eyesight clearing enough to recognize where they were.

"Seems we're off a little ways," Albriech commented as they recognized the farm that Eragon had grown up on. In the immediate vicinity, they noticed that their appearance had left a piece of the earth scorched and smelling like a campfire.

"I don't see any demon monster, though," his brother said as he looked around. "Something that big should be visible if it was attacking the town. We should be able to hear it, at least."

" _Iron Dragon CLUB!_ " a rough voice yelled from behind them, followed by a surge in magic energy. Both boys dodged on reflex, rolling to opposite sides and retaliating with quick, short breath attacks.

Both attacks struck home, sending their attacker rolling in the dirt. "Urgh…" they heard a familiar voice groan in pain as the owner struggled to get up. "I didn't expect that…"

"Roran?" Baldor asked with surprise as Eragon's cousin got to his feet.

"Eh? Baldor?" Roran asked as he looked the two men up and down. "Albriech? That blast was from you two? I thought someone was attacking the farm!"

"Uh, no, not exactly," Albriech said as he scratched his head. Gesturing at Zeref's unconscious body, he said, "This man brought us here."

"Is Eragon with you?" Roran asked, looking around for his cousin.

"No, he's gone with the others," Baldor replied, Roran's face falling at the news. Seeing this, Baldor added, "The long and short of it is that more of Natsu and Wendy's friends joined up with them, and they've gone to join the Varden in the fight against Galbatorix. We came back because we have reason to believe that there is a monster coming for Carvahall."

"What?" Roran asked, his eyes widening as he took a step back in surprise. "Why would a monster come here?"

"We're not exactly sure why," Albriech answered. "Our friend here seemed to know something about it, but we decided that getting here was more important than asking questions that would only delay us."

"We've not seen hair nor hide of any kind of monster since the Ra'zac left," Roran shrugged. "Are you certain that-" He was interrupted as a guttural, devastating roar burst from the depths of the Spine, just on the other side of Carvahall.

"Does that answer your question?" Albriech asked sourly as he scooped up Zeref and moved to hand him off to Roran. "Look, take him into your house- he'll be safer here than in the village. Baldor, let's go."

"What are you two going to do?" Roran asked.

"We're going to end this threat," Baldor said grimly, shadows enveloping his body. "Tell Garrow to stay here until things stop exploding."

"I won't have to tell him twice," Roran muttered as he grabbed the sleeping Black wizard from his friend. "Once this all over, you two have some explaining to do."

"We will, we promise," Albriech nodded as he flashed Roran thumbs-up before his body began to glow with a slight luminescence. He and his brother then took off at inhuman speeds, racing toward their hometown while another roar echoed through the afternoon air.

The sound sent a chill down Roran's spine and caused his gut to clench with dread. _What kind of monster could make such a sound?!_

* * *

Even at their top speeds, the two brothers were only just in time to make it to the village when the monster Deliora burst from the trees, roaring its hate to the world. It eyed the terrified villagers that had come out to see what the commotion was with hungry eyes. Even as it drew in another massive lungful of air to bellow at them again, a lance made of light energy sailed through the air to strike in the left eye, turning the roar into one of pain and frustration.

"Everyone, evacuate the village!" Albriech shouted as he and his brother landed on the rooftop of Sloan's butchery shop. "It's not safe here!"

"Oh, and you two are going to play hero and fight it off?!" The two boys were not entirely unsurprised to see the man himself looking up at them, his eyes wide with terror, though whether the fear was directed at them or Deliora, they didn't know. Maybe it was both.

Ignoring him, Albriech nodded and said, "That's right!" Looking at the other villagers, who seemed just as surprised at their return, he added, "Go! Flee if you value your lives!" The demon howled yet again, as if to reinforce his point. This set most of the villagers running away from the monster, many of them screaming in fright.

"Baldor, get the elderly out of here," Albriech ordered. "Make sure Mother gets out safely, too."

"I can help you-"

"I know you can," Albriech grinned. "But my magic isn't exactly ideal for transporting others safely, and the villagers need to be our priority." Baldor closed his mouth as he realized his brother was right, but that didn't make him any less worried. Seeing his expression, Albriech grinned and said, "Come back quickly, all right? I don't think I can handle this thing on my own for very long."

"I won't be long, I promise," his younger brother said before transforming into a shadow and moving away.

Cracking his neck and knuckles, Albriech eyes the massive demon before him. It was like something out of a nightmare- the monster was at least ten houses tall, armed with horns and claws, not to mention the incredible amount of energy it was emitting. It seemed to recognize him as the one that had hurt it, because it snarled angrily at him before leaping high into the air, aiming to crush him.

"White Dragon _Holy Ray!_ " he shouted, thrusting his hands up, aiming at the monster to shoot it with dozens of spears made of light. All that did was seem to anger the beast even more, because the attack wasn't even breaking skin. Albriech cursed before he was forced to dodge, using a burst of light magic fired from his feet to get away. He almost didn't notice the massive limb that nearly swatted him into oblivion that Deliora used as a follow-up attack.

Diving off the roof he had landed on, he winced as one of his neighbors' homes was completely demolished. Though he did have to admit, it wasn't the worst thing in the world that Sloan's home had been crushed underfoot.

 _All right, fast and widespread attacks aren't going to help me here,_ he thought to himself. Noticing the monster's wounded eye, he added, _Perhaps concentrated attacks are the way to go. In that case…_ He hesitated as a thought occurred to him. He might end up destroying half the town, but if he didn't stop Deliora, and fast, there might not be a town left to rebuild.

The demon smashed a fist where he was standing, leaving a crater in the street as he only just dodged again. He sighed heavily- there was no real choice to be made. _I will do what I must._

"Here goes nothing," he growled as he willed his magic to swell within him to an almost painful level, gathering it all in his right fist as he took a stance that Zeref had shown him to more properly channel the magic he was channeling. " _Dragon Slayer Secret Art._ " The power was gathering easier this time, as opposed to when he had nearly blacked out in accidentally executing the spell back in Teirm. Facing Deliora with a snarl of contempt, he shouted from the depths of his gut, " _Divine… NOVA!_ "

In the distance, Baldor and Roran watched from their respective places with awe as a light brighter than the sun shone from Carvahall, painful to look at directly. Some of the villagers that were at a safer distance stood in stunned wonder at the display of magic power.

Faster than a fireball from Natsu's hands, he launched himself at the monster, right fist drawing back to his shoulder before he lashed out, every iota of magic power he had being put into the blow.

* * *

As it turns out, he was right- half of Carvahall was disintegrated from the sheer force of the spell. Deliora roared out in pain again as the blow connected, despite trying to block it with a punch of its own. Then the rough sounds were drowned out by the explosion that ensued. Tremors rocked the ground for miles, reaching all the way to Garrow's farm.

The dust took a long time to settle. However, Baldor wasn't going to wait for that- his brother was still in there, so he rushed towards what remained of the village, calling for his sibling. "Albriech!" he shouted as he ran into the floating dirt. "Brother! Can you hear me?!" He had sensed the amount of magic the blonde boy was using, and he knew what it meant. Even if his attack had been successful in putting Deliora down, he would likely be suffering from magic power depletion- something that could prove fatal to wizards, Wendy had told him.

"Albriech!" he called more desperately, trying to find him with his enhanced sense of smell, but it was still a talent he was developing, and the dust made it hard to pick up any other scents in the area.

He heard someone coughing to his right, so he dashed in that direction, hoping past hope to find his brother. When he did, however, it wasn't exactly how he'd wanted to find him.

"Sorry…" Albriech groaned as he clutched feebly at the piece of masonry sticking through his thigh. "I… tried." He was losing an alarming amount of blood- at least one of the veins in his leg must have been torn by the wood shard.

"Shut up, I'm getting you out of here," Baldor said sternly, angry that his brother had taken such a risk, but also relieved to find him still alive. "I'm going to get you to Gertrude- she'll know what to do."

"Ugh…" Albriech groaned, trying not to pass out as Albriech grasped the piece of wood firmly. "Make it fast."

"Here," Baldor said as he ripped off his right sleeve, baring his Fairy Tail mark. Wadding the fabric up, he stuffed it in his brother's mouth as he said, "Bite on that." When Albriech nodded that he was ready, Baldor yanked out the wood, causing Albriech to let out a painful, muffled scream, his eyes shutting tight in agony. Wasting no time, Baldor tore off the rest of his shirt and used it to make a temporary bandage for the wound. Fortunately, it didn't seem to have gone all the way through, so at least there was that.

"Come on," he grunted as he hoisted his brother up, careful not to let him put any weight on the wounded leg.

He had almost turned them into shadow when Albriech eyes widened and he spat out the gag. "Deliora!" he gasped.

"Yes, I'm sure his corpse is very impressive," Baldor said grumpily.

"No, _he's getting up!_ " Albriech shouted as he pointed through the dust at a lumbering, staggering figure that rose up to a terrifying height. "Just how powerful _is_ that thing?!"

"We can ask Zeref if he'd woken up," Baldor said, though his eyes also widened in fear. He quickly transformed them into shadow and whisked them both away from the recovering beast, which let out a small growl as it sensed them getting away, but made no move to chase them.

* * *

Upon arriving back at the farm, where most of the villagers had gathered, Baldor sought out the village healer, thanking the gods that she was still alive. Albriech sagged limply, having finally lost consciousness. "Gertrude!" the younger son of Horst called out. "I need help! Please!" He almost collapsed from his brother's weight and the extended use of his shadow form, but someone quickly moved to support Albriech from the other side. "Thank you, Katrina," Baldor mumbled.

"Of course," she said as she looped the blonde man's arm over her shoulders. "Come on, let's get him inside the barn."

"Goodness gracious, what happened to him?!" Gertrude exclaimed when she saw the bloodied bandage. She began following them to the barn, hobbling along with her walking stick.

"That monster got him," Baldor answered. He almost said 'demon', but he decided against it. The others were frightened enough as it was, there was no need to stir up old superstitions that would fuel panic among them.

"That light… that was his doing?" Katrina asked, eyes wide.

"Aye," Baldor nodded. In a lowered voice, he added, "Unfortunately, it didn't quite work out like he'd hoped."

"You mean that _thing_ is still back at the village?" she asked in a hushed tone. "All that light, and… nothing?"

"It didn't seem too keen on following us," Baldor said with a slight frown. "It's likely that he wounded the monster, at least."

"Let us hope that it at least lost interest in us," Katrina sighed as they reached the barn doors. As they did, Baldor suddenly felt a spike in magic power in the distance, though it did not belong to Deliora. Looking around at the gathered villagers, he asked, "Erm, Katrina? Do you know where Roran's got to?"

"Hmm?" she asked as they walked inside. "He's somewhere around here, I believe."

Baldor paled as he sensed Deliora's magic begin to rise in response to the other power. "Somehow I don't think so…"

* * *

"So, you're the beast that the others spoke of," Roran scowled as he stared at the monster towering above him unblinkingly. "I was expecting something less fragile-looking." His doubts about the demon's power stemmed from the fact that it was missing its right arm, and the rest of its body didn't look much better. There were cracks on its horns, some of its fangs were missing while others were chipped badly, and burn marks covered its skin. Strangely, despite all the wounds on it, Deliora was not bleeding.

"It appears that Baldor and Albriech did quite the number on you," he said with narrowed eyes, furious at the destruction caused to his hometown. The monster roared, spittle landing on him as it bared what was left of its teeth. Anger still mounting, he growled out, "Did you kill them? Is that why I haven't seen them in this mess you've made?"

Deliora responded by throwing a punch at Roran, whose eyes widened at the speed which the blow was delivered before counterattacking, his arm glowing as he did so. "Iron Dragon _Club!_ " he shouted, recalling as many of the spells that Natsu and Wendy had sent to him as he could. He had been unable to read them himself, but Katrina had helped him make sense of the squiggles that made up words and sentences.

 _I need to learn how to read_ , he thought sourly as he stared Deliora in the eye, even as his iron club countered the demon's fist. However, the monster's strength proved greater, and he was sent rolling in the dirt as Deliora exerted more force against his limb.

"Hmph, so you do have some fight left in you," he scowled as he picked himself up. _I need to take this thing seriously, it seems,_ he thought. Out loud, he added, "You'll wish you had never set foot in my home, monster!"

Deliora recognized the tone, if not the words, and it definitely was not the sound of a human in pain. This only served to anger the beast further, as it focused on venting its anger on this puny human that dared to stand against it, despite its own grievous injuries. Energy gathering in its mouth, it prepared to unleash a laser blast that would decimate him and the acre around him.

As if to respond in kind, Roran took a deep breath, even as a magic circle appeared before his face. "Iron Dragon…"

" _RRRARGH!_ " Deliora bellowed, shooting dark energy at Rorar.

" _ROAR!_ " Roran yelled mightily as a tornado of metal spewed from his own mouth. For a moment, the two of them were deadlocked in combat, neither one of them willing to back down. _I must defeat this beast!_ Roran thought angrily. _For the villagers, for Albriech and Roran, for my father… For Katrina._

Heaving mightily with his lungs, he put in an extra burst of power that blew through Deliora's laser, hitting the monster square in the face and knocking it back. Roran knew that alone wouldn't be enough to finish it, since it obviously was still capable of fighting after the wounds it had received.

However, the extended exertion of the magic he had used had drained his reserves. _I need iron…_ he thought, remembering that if Natsu or Wendy ate something of their own element it would replenish lost reserves of power in a fight, or even enhance their abilities if they consumed enough.

Noticing Horst's home up the street, he got an idea. Despite his exhaustion, he used his club technique on his legs to send him up and over the monster, landing heavily in the street next to the blacksmith's house. Dashing around the back of the place, he ran in through the opened door- apparently Horst hadn't thought to lock it up when Deliora had first attacked- and grabbed up what looked like an iron ingot.

Nibbling on the corner to make sure it was the right metal, he was relieved to find that it was indeed the very thing he needed. Snatching up another one, he began to crunch down hungrily on the metal while running back out into the street, away from the beautiful house- he certainly didn't want to be the cause of its destruction if he could help it. He had just finished the first ingot when Deliora found him, spitting a laser at him again.

With no time to retaliate with a breath attack, Roran opted to dodge, using the same technique he had before. He sailed through the air, quickly devouring the second metal piece, feeling his strength coming back to full power. "Ah…" he grinned wickedly as he turned around to face the monster more confidently. "Now I'm ready for you, spawn of the Spine."

"He's not from the Spine, he's from somewhere else." Baldor's voice was a welcome surprise coming from Roran's left. Before he could locate the source, everything went dark for a moment before they reappeared behind what was left of Morn's Tavern.

Glaring up at the demon from their new hiding place, Baldor growled out, "Albriech did a number on him, but this is hardly over. I raced over here half-expecting to find you buried under a house."

"Thank you for the vote of confidence," Roran said sarcastically. "I'm just fine, thank you very much."

"I don't think you realize the gravity of this situation, Roran," Baldor snapped as he turned back to face his friend, surprising his older companion. "That thing is a demon."

More than anything, Roran was taken aback by Baldor's assertiveness- he'd always been the quieter, more even-tempered of the two boys. This new attitude was completely unexpected. _Just what have he and Albriech been doing while they were away?_ He wondered.

"Listen," Baldor said, snatching Roran out of his thoughts. "I'm fairly sure that only heavy attacks will damage this thing. Don't bother wasting time to try and feel him out- hit him hard, hit him fast."

"Don't have to tell me twice," Roran grumbled. "He took my club attack like it was nothing and sent me flying like a ragdoll." A thought suddenly occurred to him, so he asked, "You can turn into a shadow, right? He can't hit a shadow… I would imagine."

"Aye, what about it?" Baldor asked.

"Get his attention," Roran said as his right arm flashed and turned into a sword. "While he's busy trying to hit you, I'll cut his ugly head off."

"Fine, but make it fast," Baldor replied. "I'm running low on magic power, so I won't be able to do it for long."

"As long as you can last a minute, I can easily get into position to kill it," Roran grinned confidently. "This thing is about to learn why attacking Carvahall was a serious mistake." With that, he dashed off, Baldor running in the opposite direction a second later.

 _I have a feeling that despite this plan, this is going to involve hurting…_ he groaned inwardly. Despite himself, he readied his magic for his shadow form before yelling at Deliora at the top of his lungs, "Oei! Over here, demon bastard!"

Deliora's response was swift. A blast of energy tore through Baldor, nearly dissipating his shadow form, but he managed to hold himself together. Not seeing Roran anywhere, he yelled in an echoing voice, "Is that all you can do?"

" _Rargh!_ " Deliora shouted, gathering energy for another blast. Not wanting to risk another direct hit, Baldor merged with his own shadow as moved until he reappeared on top of the ruins of another house that was partially intact."

"Zeref made it sound like you were something to be feared!" he yelled as he finally noticed Roran sneaking up behind the monster as quietly as he could. "Why should I be afraid of a lowly beast that's falling to pieces?!"

His enemy's scream was loud enough to reach Garrow's farm again, and to the dragon slayers' ears, it was painful. Covering his ears with his hands, he realized too late that Deliora was just distracting him. The energy blast was headed right for him, and there was no way he would dodge it in time.

Just before it reached him, however, the energy sputtered and fizzled out. Curious, Baldor lowered his arms to see that Roran had successfully stabbed the monster in the neck with his blade, causing it to be distracted. The moment of relief was short-lived as Deliora growled and swiped at the back of its neck, apparently still not wounded enough to be killed.

Roran barely pulled away in time, letting loose a short breath attack to aid his momentum and blind Deliora for a moment. Baldor sank to his knees, completely drained of power and hope. _We can't beat this thing…_ he thought dully. _Some dragon slayers we turned out to be…_

"This isn't over!" The son of Horst looked up to see Roran charging in for another round. "As long as we draw breath, we will fight for our home!" Slamming Deliora with an extended club in the face, he roared, "Whatever comes our way, we will give our descendants a reason to remember our names!"

Deliora objected- strongly. Grabbing Roran and yanking him close, it seemed as though he intended to eat the Iron Dragon Slayer. "Let! Me! Go!" Roran shouted as he struggled to free himself.

Forcing himself to stand, Baldor grimaced as he readied himself for one last stand. _If it's to protect or avenge our family…_ he remembered. _Be it the kingdom or the entire world, we would make an enemy of anyone…_ "That's what it means…" he growled out loud as he found himself rushing forward, "To be… _Fairy Tail!_ "

Deliora apparently noticed him coming, because it paused before it could eat Roran. Not giving it time to process, he bellowed, " _Shadow Dragon SLASH!_ " He spear-handed the demon's fingers, cutting them off at the joints as he leaped past, robbing it of its ability to hold Roran in place. "It's all up to you now!" he panted, completely spent, before crashing to the ground and sinking into the darkness of unconsciousness.

Roran dropped to the ground, rage pulsating through him. "Yet another one of Carvahall's people falls to you," he snarled, willing his right arm to transform again. After the glow had faded, he roared, "If stabbing you doesn't work, I'll just pummel you into submission!" Willing the new power he had gained from the ingots into his arm, he forced himself to his limit- and beyond.

When the transformation was done, a mighty war hammer the size of Deliora's head (minus the horns) stood atop an extended pole that Roran held high above his head. This was not a spell he had learned from the letter Wendy and Natsu had sent him, though. This was of his own design, his spirit.

" _Dragon Slayer Secret Art!_ " he bellowed, ready to end things once and for all. "Taste my iron, foul beast! For my comrades and my home, I'm sending you back to the hell you crawled out of! _Karmic Demon Iron WARHAMMER!_ " The hammer fell, striking Deliora on the crown of his head, where an ugly _crunch_ was heard.

And the demon fell.

* * *

When the dust settled, Zeref walked into town, alone. He surveyed the damage and sighed sadly at the sight of what his creation had wrought. A coughing fit attracted his attention, so he investigated the source of the sound. He found Baldor and Roran, leaning against a wall that had stayed mostly intact.

"You're alive," he said, surprised. "When the others told me that you had gone to fight, I feared the worst."

"Don't… underestimate the men of Carvahall," Roran said tiredly. "We defend our homes and our families… to our last breaths… and beyond."

Zeref smiled a bit at that. "You sound like a member of Fairy Tail," he said as he placed a hand on each of them to transfer some of his magic energy into them. It wasn't a lot, just enough so that they could stand on their own- he was still feeling very weak himself. As he did, he reached out with his senses to see if there was anyone in the village who needed help.

"How did you defeat it?" he asked curiously.

"Roran here has a rather strong hammer," Baldor answered.

Zeref almost didn't feel anything with his telepathy, but just as he was about to withdraw into himself, he sensed a life force, weak but definitely not an animal. "Someone is still here," he said as he ceased the power transfer.

"Are you serious?!" Baldor groaned. "Please tell me it's not Deliora!"

"Erm, who is this?" Roran inquired.

"My name is Zeref," the ancient young man said as he got his feet. "I have been travelling with your friends, Baldor and Albriech. And no, it's not Deliora… I think."

"You think?!" Baldor sputtered.

"Who is Deliora?" Roran asked.

"The demon you just fought," Zeref answered, beginning to walk towards where the beast had fallen, gesturing for them to follow. "Come. Something is amiss."

"He does a great job of stating the obvious, doesn't he?" Roran commented as he and Baldor got to their feet. "Where did you find him?"

"He found us, actually," Baldor shrugged. Then he spoke up louder, asking, "Is Albriech all right?"

"He will be," Zeref answered. "He lost a great deal of blood, but I put a spell on him to prevent infections and the like."

"Thank you," Baldor said after a quiet moment of walking. They stopped when they reached the dead husk of the once-mighty demon. After another pause, he asked tentatively, "Is it still alive?"

"No, but something inside it is," Zeref answered. "Strange… I wonder…" Looking over at Roran, he asked, "If you could, I'd like to examine his insides. I have a theory."

Roran looked startled at first, but he complied, transforming his arm into a sword that cut through the skin of the dead monster, though it wasn't easy. After a good five minutes of sawing at the body, he managed to make a man-sized hole big enough to crawl through.

For a moment, all that they heard was the sounds of Zeref struggling to move around in the dark, though there was a surprising lack of blood and gut spilling out, they noticed. Then, Zeref called out in a slightly muffled voice, "I'm going to need you to make that hole bigger, Iron Dragon. I've got someone in here."

"That monster ate someone on the way here?" Roran asked as he began to do as he was asked.

"With the state this woman is in, I doubt it," was Zeref's reply. "I was wondering how Deliora had been revived- this explains it."

"What explains what?" Baldor and Roran were both very confused, though the Shadow Dragon was a little less so, having heard about Deliora's destruction beforehand.

"The only way this beast could have been revived would be by also restoring the person that killed him, and bind their life energies as one," Zeref grunted as they heard him moving closer to them. "It's a similar process to how I revived Natsu."

"So just who is it that you've got there?" Roran asked, wanting at least one clear answer.

"Someone that our friend Gray would very much like to see, I imagine," Zeref said as he poked his head out. "One Ur Milkovich, Gray's old mentor and instructor in the ways of his ice-make magic."

* * *

 **Lyon: _WHAT?!_**

 **Mataras: Yep.**

 **Lyon: _HOW?!_**

 **Mataras: I'm gonna let the story elaborate more on that instead of just telling you. Kinda ruins the suspense, don't you think?**

 **Lyon: _WHY?!_**

 **Mataras: Because I can- and I love pulling the rug out from under my readers, hehe.**

 **Lyon: _I- YOU- AAAAAAAAAAAAH!_**

 **Mataras: This has been Lyon, representing the voices and thoughts of you, the readers. See ya next time!**


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